


So Much Like Your Mother

by TDKeh16



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Difficult Decisions, Falling In Love, Family Dynamics, Father-Son Relationship, Friendship, Gen, Heart-to-Heart, Late Night Conversations, Mother-Son Relationship, Past Kent Parson/Jack Zimmermann, References to Addiction, no chill, pre-zimbits - Freeform, references to mental illness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-01-21 04:19:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12449550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TDKeh16/pseuds/TDKeh16
Summary: Or "5 times Jack was compared to Alicia, and 1 time he is not"-----You are so much like your--Jack had heard that sentence begin more times in his life than he can count. To say it happened daily might be an exaggeration, but weekly sure was not. He had grown up in the shadow of his father's legacy, and people felt compelled at every turn to remind him of what he knew all-too-well -- he is like his father. Or, hewas. Bob thrived under pressure, but Jack? Jack cracked -- and the whole world heard it."--your mother!"That got his attention. "Huh? Sorry, what?"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first 5+1 fic, so that's exciting for me. I kept thinking about how iconic Alicia must be to the non-hockey world, especially at Samwell, and how shocked Jack would be to meet people that did not instantly compare him to Bad Bob's legacy. This first part is a little angsty, but there is some fun ahead in future chapters. I promise!  
> Enjoy!

_You are so much like your--_

Jack had heard that sentence begin more times in his life than he can count. To say it happened daily might be an exaggeration, but weekly sure was not. He had grown up in the shadow of his father's legacy, and people felt compelled at every turn to remind him of what he knew all-too-well -- he is like his father. Or, he  ** _was_**. Bob thrived under pressure, but Jack? Jack cracked -- and the whole world heard it.

"--your mother!"

That got his attention. "Huh? Sorry, what?"

"Wow. I haven't seen you since you were about yea-high," a woman gestured to just below her hip. "I can't believe how much you've grown!"

Jack wracked his brain, but could not bring himself to remember meeting her before. "Oh, yeah, well..." he chuckled politely without knowing what to say. 

"You know, I've never seen eyes as blue as Alicia's before, but you've definitely got your mother's genes.

"Yeah. My grandpa had blue eyes too." Jack glanced around the room, willing his mom to come back from the bathroom quickly. He was anxious about this forced conversation with a stranger. He needed Alicia to take over this sudden spotlight.

His mother had literally begged him to come along on this trip, and Jack had reluctantly agreed -- mainly because he was sick of continuously disappointing his parents. Attending an alumni event at her old university seemed better than another awkward interaction with his dad or uncles. Not that anyone gave him a hard time, but the silence that replaced what used to be 'you'll know soon enough' and 'just like us one day' was painful. Sometimes kind smiles and comforting pats on the back were their own kind of torture.

So there he was in the small college town of Samwell, Massachusetts, wishing that he could melt into the wallpaper. The woman across from him was a little older than his mother, and dressed impeccably. She had spoken earlier in the evening, but all Jack could remember was that she was a dean of some kind. He had not been listening, focussed more on getting through the night than enjoying it.

"How are you doing now?"

Oh. So she knew. It had been naïve of Jack to assume the people here would know any less about Alicia Zimmermann's son and his fall from grace. Jack swallowed down the lump in his throat. "Good, um... good. I'm good."

She smiled, that same kind, pitying smile that everyone seemed to give him those days. "That's good. I'm glad to hear you're doing well."

"Thanks," Jack replied a little too quickly, betraying his discomfort.

"It's been nice seeing you again." She was about to leave when Alicia returned. They exchanged friendly greetings. "I was telling your son how much he's grown since the last time he came here. Are you hoping to continue your mother's legacy here at Samwell, Jack?"

Jack was caught off guard by the question, since he assumed the dean was talking solely to Alicia. "Oh, um... I hadn't thought about that." Of course he hadn't -- he'd thought of nothing but hockey for the past two decades. 

Alicia gave him a sympathetic look, sensing his unease. "Jack, sweetheart, could you please get me a glass of water? I've been talking all night, my throat's a little dry?"

"Oh? Yeah, of course." Jack jumped at the chance to excuse himself. 

When he returned a few minutes later with a glass of water for Alicia and another for himself, she was chatting politely with a new set of strangers. "Thank you, angel."

"No problem..." Jack smiled at the others and then busied himself with drinking his water so that he would not have to speak. They must have known about Jack's overdose too, he was sure of it. Were they wondering if it was really only water in his glass? Jack felt his pulse quicken -- maybe it was a mistake to come to this event. There were too many people in the room and it felt like all eyes were on him, even if he knew better.

Alicia watched her son tense up out of the corner of her eye. She excused herself from her conversation and looped her arm around his. "Phew! What a busy night! I could sure go for a walk right now, what do you think?"

"A walk?"

"Yeah. Maybe down to the river quad for some fresh air. Care to join me? I'd love the company." She smiled.

"Don't we-- you-- don't you have to stay here?"

"I don't have to do anything I don't want to -- and neither do you," Alicia added with a pointed look.

Jack let out a small sigh of relief and smiled. "A walk would be good."

They walked out into the crisp air of the autumn night. Alicia stopped for a moment to slip on a pair of flats that she had stashed in her purse. "I know I've spent half my life in heels higher than this, but my days of wearing them on uncertain terrain ended with my last high-fashion shoot." Alicia hooked her fingers through the sling-backs of her heels and swung them to and fro as they walked. She let out a long, happy sigh.

"Do heels hurt that bad?" Jack asked innocently.

Alicia laughed and grabbed his arm again. "That wasn't about the shoes; I just really love this campus at night."

"It's nice." The corner of Jack's mouth quirked up into a smile. There was a sense of calm to be felt in such a wide open space, especially after the claustrophobic feeling he'd had moments before in the banquet hall. "Quiet. I mean, like... I thought there would be more, uh, I don't know... antics? Drunk people in togas being loud?"

"On a Wednesday night? With midterms a week away?" Alicia chuckled. "When exams are over, absolutely, but right now? Most people are studying."

"Hm..." Jack inhaled the cool air, delighting in the chill that filled his lungs. "I..." he stopped.

"What is it?" Alicia asked. 

Jack shook his head. "Nothing." His mom frowned. "What's with that well? Isn't it dangerous? What if someone falls in?"

"It's not functional anymore; it's sealed off about a foot down. Want to go see?"

"Sure," Jack said with a shrug and let Alicia lead the way.

"Sit on the edge, let me take a picture of you."

"But--"

"Shush." Alicia pulled her phone from her purse and snapped a few pictures before Jack could object. She checked over them while Jack blinked to readjust his eyes to the dark after the bright flash. Alicia looked back up at him and laughed. "Aww, I'm sorry. Maybe the flash was a little much. Blame grandpa for inheriting his eyes."

"I have your eyes," Jack reminded her.

"And I got them from my dad, ergo, _his_ fault." Her laughter rang out across the quiet lake quad. She squeezed his arm. "My beautiful boy..."

"Maman?"

"I'm really happy you came with me tonight, Jack."

"No problem."

They walked in silence until they crossed the river. "Those two buildings we just passed are the freshman dorms and the library," Alicia said as she pointed back across the river.  "And up here on the right is River Quad."

"Lake Quad _and_ River Quad?"

"Well, those aren't their real names, of co-- oh! So, down that way is Jason Street, but it's basically just a bunch of frat houses. Half of them weren't even built yet when I was a student here."

"Well, a lot can change in _50 years_..."

Alicia laughed and gave him a playful smack. "Jack Laurent Zimmermann, I am not _that_ old!"

"But close, right?" Jack snickered, proud of his own jokes.

"I have enough dealing with your father's lame chirps, don't tell me you're starting too!" In all honesty, Alicia did not mind. In fact, she was delighted. It had been too long since she had seen Jack this jovial, and it was the last thing she expected after how anxious he had been inside the banquet. She pointed down the street, continuing their original line of conversation. "Well, those toga parties you were expecting to see? Down Jason Street is where you'd likely find them."

"Oh. I don't want to or anything..."

"No, I know--"

"I'm not-- I won't--  ** _EVER_** ," Jack stumbled through his words. "Never again, okay? I promise. I won't even drink."

"Jack..." Alicia said softly, giving his arm another supportive squeeze. "You know Papa and I love you, right?"

"Yeah..."

"And you know that we trust you?" Alicia's question was met with silence. "We _do_ , Jack. _We do_."

Jack sighed. "I don't know why you would..."

"Sweetheart--"

"It's fine. I know. I shouldn't be so hard on myself and that's what-- how I _ruined_ \--" Jack let out a frustrated groan. "I mean..."

"You're twenty years old. You're allowed to make mistakes."

"Yeah, but it was a really big mistake."

Alicia pressed her lips together and she nodded her head slowly as they continued walking along the river, past a string of restaurants and bars. She sighed. "Yeah. It was a big mistake... A _mistake_. And you're allowed to make those, remember? You're twenty years old."

"You said that already."

"Oh good, so you _were_ listening," Alicia teased lightly.  "Look, Jack, you can't punish yourself forever. Your life isn't over -- hockey isn't everything."

"It is to me."

"It doesn't have to be. You can do anything you set your mind too. You don't give yourself enough credit."

Jack let out a shaky sigh as he fought back tears. "I'm so lost, maman. I don't know what to do with my life if I can't play hockey. It's all I've ever wanted..."

They crossed back over the river starting their slow loop back towards the campus golf club where the alumni banquet was being held. "You can take some time for yourself. Maybe see if there is anything you might want out of your life for the next 80 or so years. It's okay to slow down. The pace you set for yourself-- that _we_ unwittingly set for you-- you can't live life at that speed. It's too much pressure."

"It wasn't for Parse. It wasn't for anyone else who got drafted last year. Or _this_ year. Or since--"

"Everybody is different."

Jack huffed with frustration. "I _know_ that. And I know that I was pushing myself and it wasn't sustainable. And... I know I need to find some other way to--" He groaned again when the words he wanted to say did not come as easily as he wanted. "Some other way to get there... but the NHL is my dream. **_Still_**. I don't know what to do, but I'll figure out something."

Alicia sighed, tears brimming in her eyes. "I wish I'd never let you start playing hockey..."

"I know." Jack had heard one version of that sentence or another from his mother countless times over the years, especially since his overdose. "It doesn't look like it to you, but hockey makes me happy. When I'm on the ice, playing, I... I love it. Always have."

"I don't want to deprive you of something that makes you happy, or for you to deprive yourself... but I wish it didn't cause you so much pain in between that happiness."

"Well, I just need to plan for that this time. Figure out some better coping mechanisms or whatever," Jack said quietly. "Maybe something I can bring up with Dr. Thibodeau during my next appointment. Ways to cope when I'm back in that world again. What to avoid, what to focus my attention on that would be positive instead."

A chill ran down Alicia's back and she shivered. She was dressed for an evening of cocktails and hors d'oeuvres in a warm room full of people, not a night time stroll through the fallen leaves. "Oof," she snuggled closer against Jack's side. "What do you say we go indoors for a bit?"

"Yeah, we should go back. Sorry for interrupting your party. Is it this-- huh?" Jack turned in the direction he thought the golf club would be, but Alicia held his arm firmly and did not budge. "Wrong way?"

"I want to show you somewhere else first. Follow me," she said with the kind of sad smile that confused Jack.

"Are you okay? Did I do something?"

"No, angel. There's just something I want you to see." Alicia led the way towards another large building with impressive large windows. The doors were locked, but one hushed phone call and five minutes were all it took to get someone here to unlock them.

"Wow. You're really her. You're here. You're her and you're here," the man stammered. "Oh! Um, big fan. Sorry. I've never seen a celebrity in real life and people always say that stars look like regular people off-screen, but you're like, impossibly beautiful. You have the same birthday as my grandma -- she mentions it all the time. Not the same year, though. She's 5 years older than you, I think."

Jack snickered. Alicia gave him a small whack in the arm. 

"Oh! Oh my god! That was so-- oh my god." The young man covered his red face. "I didn't mean to imply you were old enough to be a grandmother..."

"It's alright. I _am_ old enough to be a grandma -- I'm _not_ \-- but I'm old enough," Alicia reassured him with a laugh.

The young man dropped his hands from his face and gestured towards Jack. "And I mean, you're still ridiculously hot. Like, you've scored hot, young arm candy and everything."

Jack stopped laughing. Alicia started. "This is my _son_ , Jack."

"Oh. Oh god, I--"

"I'll take it for the compliment intended," she assured him. "Now, about this door..."

"Right! Uh-- I'm not sure which key it is exactly. They're actually my boyfriend's set, but he was in the shower and I answered his phone, and when I heard who it was for... Yeah I basically just grabbed his keys and ran over. He'll understand. He knows I'm a fan."

Jack watched, perplexed, as the young man fumbled nervously with each key. He knew his parents were famous, and bumping into fans had been a regular occurrence for as long as he could remember -- but fans like this always threw him. Jack just did not understand how someone could get so emotional over a complete stranger. It was weird.

With the door finally unlocked, Alicia gave the young man a hug and posed for a quick selfie before they parted ways. She looked at Jack. "Shall we?"

Jack followed her inside and it was not long before the familiar smell filled his nostrils -- the smell of an ice rink. It was the last place he expected his mom to take him, and he told her so. "I didn't expect you to bring me to a hockey rink..."

"I know... but I know how much you love it. Papa and I just want you to be happy, Jack. That's all we've _ever_ wanted for you."

They sat down in the third row of the bleachers and looked out over the moonlight glinting on the smooth ice. The oversized windows really made a spectacular impression. "So..." Jack began after a few minutes of silence. "What was it like when you went to school here? Did you like it?"

"I  _loved_ it here _._  So many memories of late-night study sessions, and rehearsals, and parties with friends..." Alicia smiled at the nostalgia of it all. "It helped me become the person I am today."

"You probably had a lot of friends here, eh? Like that dean?"

"Oh god,  _Meredith?_ I couldn't stand her. She has always been one to poke her nose into other people's business. A total brown-noser too. She must have done something _right_ to end up Dean of Admissions, but she sure rubbed us the _wrong_ way." Alicia laughed.

"Hm..." Jack glanced over at her, then focussed back on the ice. He drummed his figertips on the bench beside him and took a deep breath. "I want to go here."

"What?"

"I want to enroll. Here at Samwell. Do you think I'd get accepted?"

"I'm sure you _could_..." Alicia said carefully.

"Okay. I'm going to apply."

"Jack, sweetheart? Don't take this the wrong way, but..."

"You think I'm rushing into this?" Jack guessed.

"Yes." 

He sighed. "Don't you ever get that feeling? Where you instantly know something is  _right_ for you?"

Alicia laughed quietly. She knew that feeling well. "Did we ever tell you the story about the first time I saw Papa without his tooth?"

Jack chuckled softly. It was a story he had heard often as a child, but it had been a few years. "It's been a while..."

"Well, we had only been dating a few months, and were attempting to cook our first meal together -- in  _my_ tiny apartment! The kitchen was about the size a bath towel, and good luck trying to fit two people in their and open the stove or fridge. Without thinking, I opened my freezer -- freezer doors were the top part of the fridge back in those days, none of this bottom-drawer business fridges have today -- and bam! Whacked him right in the face.

"I, of course, was  _mortified,_ and your father just made a muffled 'it's okay' sound while covering his mouth and then his eyes went big and he dropped to the floor on his hands and knees!" 

Jack laughed. Both Alicia and Bob got so animated whenever they told this story. 

"So there I was in this tiny kitchen having just laid out this giant hockey player and I'm thinking he's  _never_ going to ask me out again, and I look down and he's digging under my fridge for something amongst the dust bunnies... and he picks up  _ **a tooth**._ "

"So, you panic because you think you've knocked out a real tooth," Jack added to the story.

" _Exactly_. I'm apologizing like mad and wondering why there's no blood and he looks up at me all sheepishly and explains that it's a fake." Alicia chuckled. "And you know what he said next?"

"He asked if you wanted to see it."

"He asked if I wanted to  **HOLD** it! All gently like it was a baby bunny or something. I looked over at this weird toothless man sitting across from me on my kitchen floor, and  _ **knew**_ that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. We sat there laughing with tears streaming down our cheeks until the pot on the stove started to boil over."

Their laughter echoed out in the empty rink. Jack took another deep breath. "This is where I need to be. _Here_. I **_know_** it. I can do this, I promise."

"Oh, Jackie..." Alicia pulled him into a tight hug. "If it's something you're sure you want to do, then..."

"Maybe..." Jack let himself sink into his mom's hug. "Maybe when we get back home... we can talk to Dr. Thibodeau... and Papa too, if he wants..."

"Of course he will."

"Do you think he'll be disappointed if I go to school? Just play hockey here for a while instead?"

"He's _never_ been disappointed in you."

"But--"

" _ **Never** , _Jack. Were we scared? Absolutely. Completely terrified at the possibility that we might...  _lose_ you... but every day in my life is better knowing you're in it -- even the really bad days. I promise your father feels the same way."

"...Yeah."

"I'm serious. You could spend the rest of you life growing rose bushes or something and we'd be thrilled as long as you were happy."

"I feel like such a failure... "

"You're not."

Jack sighed heavily. "Maybe if they let me play here... maybe I can find other things I'll like here too."

Alicia rested her head on his shoulder. "I used to like sitting in on as many different classes as I could at the start of the year, just to see what piqued my interest."

Jack chuckled softly. "That sounds like a smart idea. What was your favourite class?"

"Oh, gosh,  _any_ history course. I took women's studies classes whenever I could, too."

"I think I would like that. Anything but _math_."

Alicia laughed. "I've always  _loathed_ math class."

"Same." Jack's chuckle faded into a sigh. "And you... made lots of friends here?"

"Oh, _absolutely!_  Your Aunty Marcia and Uncle Luke -- before we knew to call him Luke -- were my roommates in the freshman dorms, and I still talk to them both to this day."

"Do you think...  _ **I**_ could make friends here?"

Alicia's heart broke a little more. She rubbed his back soothingly. "Of course, angel. You're a wonderful young man, you'll make lots of friends."

Jack would have been happy with just one --  his friendship with Kent Parson had turned complicated in recent years. "Because, Parse was--  ** _is_** \--? I don't even know anymore..."

"It's okay. You don't have to figure things out with him right now." Alicia smiled gently. "And you know, Samwell was ranked the #2 most LGBTQ-friendly campus in America last year..."

" _Mom_..."

"I'm just saying that it has a good reputation," Alicia insisted. "It's possible you might meet a nice boy -- or girl -- here that you might find yourself more compatible with than... you know, _other_ people in your life."

"I miss him, you know. Being friends..." Jack sighed. Kent had been his first real friend, and it had taken most of his life to meet him.

"I know, angel."

"So..." Jack was cautiously optimistic about the way his mom was handling this conversation. "You think it would be a good idea for me to come here for school?"

Alicia nodded thoughtfully. "I'd obviously prefer to keep you a little closer to home, but Samwell is a really good school. It means a lot to me -- I'm still involved with it today," she let out a small laugh and gestured around them. "If you had to study anywhere outside of Montréal, I'd be most comfortable if it were here."

"It seems nice here. I mean, the banquet was a little crowded and stuff... but the campus is nice. I feel calm here -- especially  _ **here.**_ " Jack pointedly tapped the wooden seat of their row. "I like this rink."

"It _is_ beautiful..."

"I promise I wouldn't go to any parties or anything. That's behind me."

"Parties are part of the college experience. Everybody needs to let off steam now and then."

"Yeah, but--"

"Remember what I said earlier? You're young. Have a drink, dance with your friends -- we trust you to set reasonable limits for yourself. And if you slip up a little? That's okay too. Keep yourself safe, keep your friends safe, that's all that matters."

"Okay," Jack said with a quiet nod. "We should probably get back to your alumni thing, huh?"

Alicia stood and smoothed out her dress. "We'll stop in for a bit so I can say some quick goodbyes and then we can head back to the hotel."

Jack felt guilty that he had caused his mother to miss so much of her event, particularly because she had been the woman of the hour after it had been announced that she had created a scholarship for Samwell students.

"I'm sorry that I ruined your big night," Jack said sheepishly.

"What?! Jackie, no..." Alicia pulled him in for another tight hug. "You made it _perfect_. It's been so long since we've talked like this, since I've heard you  _laugh_... I wouldn't trade that for anything in the entire world."

They walked back towards the exit and Jack removed his suit jacket, draping it around Alicia's shoulders instead when she braced herself for the cold. "Here. I hope it's not sweaty."

Alicia laughed. "Aww, my sweet boy." She linked their arms together again as they walked.

"Um..." Jack paused again.

"What is it?"

"Oh, um, just... thanks. For the talk."

"Same to you, sweetheart. I hope you  understand that you can talk to me or Papa about anything."

"No, I do. It's just... hard sometimes."

"I'm really happy you came on this trip. It means so much to me. There's nobody else I'd rather spend my day with." Alicia smiled.

"Not even Papa?"

"Oh,  _please!_ Your father is insufferable at these events," Alicia said as she burst into laughter. "He talks to  _everyone,_  the little chatterbox. If that social butterfly were here, we'd never leave!"

Jack laughed too. "True."

Alicia returned his coat when they arrived back at that golf club. "Okay, so here's the plan -- I'll say some quick goodbyes while you take my purse and fill it with as many hors d'oeuvres as you possibly can, then we go back to our hotel and stuff our faces while we watch that documentary on FDR that you found on Netflix."

Jack chuckled. Alicia handed over her purse and flashed him an encouraging thumbs up before disappearing into the thick of the crowd. Tonight had been the first time Jack could remember ever being compared to his mother, instead of his father. Jack was flattered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack arrives at Samwell and discovers that people on campus are buzzing about "Alicia Zimmermann's son". He grabs lunch at a campus restaurant called Jerry's and meets an interesting man.

Jack stepped nervously up to the desk where a young woman was ignoring the computer in front of her in favour of her cell phone. "Um... hi."

She looked up at him without moving her head, fingers still typing out a text message. "Oh, hey."

Jack waited for the rest of her greeting, but it never came. "I... am I in the right place? I'm supposed to get my student ID..." He looked around the room. There was a camera set up on a tripod towards the back, and a background sheet hanging on the wall -- it seemed like the right place, at least.

"Yeah, that's here. One sec." The girl frowned at her phone screen when a response to her latest text came in. "That bitch!"

"I can come back lat--"

"It's fine. Just go stand against that wall and I'll be there in a sec." Her frown deepened and her thumbs typed out the next message furiously.

Jack stood in front of the camera and pulled his own phone out of his pocket while he waited. He pretended to be busy typing out a text as well, but he did not know who he could contact.

He considered texting Parse, but erased the message he had typed three times before giving up. He texted Alicia instead, to let her know that he was about to get his student ID photo taken.

A text came back a minute later -- a photo of his father making a goofy face -- with a caption from Alicia advising him to take a nicer than Bob would. Jack smiled. After decades together, and his parents still acted like silly teenagers when they were together. He wondered if he would ever meet someone who made him feel that way.

"Okay! Sorry about that," the young woman put down her phone and swivelled around in her chair. "My girlfriend's best friend's ex is causing a bunch of drama and-- Holy shit, you're him!" Her eyes went wide when she finally looked up at Jack.

Jack was taken aback. "I-- no, that can't-- I haven't dated anybody here. I just got here the day before yesterday..."

"No, no, not the dramatic ex--" she rushed to explain. "You're the guy everyone is buzzing about -- you're Alicia Zimmermann's son!"

"I-- yes," Jack answered quietly.

Wow. You look so much like her. Those eyes, those cheekbones!"

"Oh, um, thanks?" Jack replied awkwardly. He raked a hand through his shaggy black hair, then instantly regretted it when he remembered that he was about to get his ID photo taken. "Shit."

"Have you ever modelled? You definitely could." She asked as she watched Jack attempt to smooth out the mess he had just made. His shirt rode up a little as he lifted his arms, which exposed the cut of his lower abs. "Like, seriously."

Jack laughed it off politely. "Yeah, right."

"You're an athlete or whatever right? You're super handsome and have a great body -- you could absolutely model. Like, Swallow-worthy for sure."

Jack did not know what that meant. He was not sure he wanted to know. "Um..."

She noticed the discomfort on his face. "Oh! The Swallow is our like, campus tabloid thing. They do a '50 most beautiful' issue each year. Sorry, I guess that sounded overtly sexual earlier." She laughed.

Jack shuffled his weight from one foot to the other. "Yeah..."

"Okay, smile for the camera! But not too much-- okay more than that-- nope, now you look angry-- just-- there! Hold that face."

The camera flashed 3 times in quick succession and Jack let out a sigh of relief once it was over. "Thanks. So... do I just come back tomorrow? Or next week? Or does it just get mailed to my dorm, or--"

"Nah, you can wait here. It only takes, like, half an hour."

"Oh. Um, okay..." Jack sat back down in the waiting area and drummed his fingers on the seat of the chair beside him. He tried his best not to make eye contact with the young woman, but ended up staring at the clock instead.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat.

"Oh! Um, I forgot that I was supposed to-- I have a-- something. Not here. Something that I have to go away for. Um, my card will be ready in an hour? I'll come back." Jack hurried from the office lest he be caught in another conversation about his appearance.

It wasn't that he disliked how he looked -- Jack was proud of how far he had come -- but he would rather blend into the background. He had be singled out because of his looks for most of his childhood -- the "fat kid" on every team, in every class, at every gathering with his parents' celebrity friends and their kids.

He knew how he looked on the outside, but he still felt like that same chubby kid inside when his looks came into focus. Jack was still hyper-aware of what people might think if they saw him eating something unhealthy -- especially since the campus was apparently "buzzing" about his arrival.

His meal choice was at the front of his mind, as Jack crossed the river and found the first place that was open. It was a small restaurant called "Jerry's" that was in serious need of some cosmetic upgrades, but it smelled like pancakes and bacon, and that was all that mattered.

The place was nearly empty, so Jack picked a seat in the corner by the window so that he could people-watch. Not that there was much to observe -- athletes arrived on campus earlier than most students, and Jack had arrived a few days earlier than that to settle in to his new surroundings. The view was boring, for the most part, and that was just fine by Jack.

The peaceful view was disrupted by two men walking past the window in a heated argument. To Jack's dismay, they turned into the restaurant, breaking the relative silence.

"See? This place is open." The man with the moustache said with a dramatic sweep of his arm around the mostly empty room. He made eye contact momentarily with Jack, but Jack hastily looked down at his glass of water.

"Oh, come on now. You cannot be serious. Let me take you to a real restaurant."

"I'm going to be living here for the next four years -- I want to check this place out."

Jack was surprised that he seemed to be a student -- his moustache and sports coat made him look much older at first. Now that he was taking a closer look, he seemed to be about his age. Jack was relieved to see for a fact that he was not the only person starting college in his twenties.

"Precisely. You have four years to frequent this... ugh, establishment," the older man said, unable to hide his disdain for their current surroundings. Frankly, Jack did not think he was even trying. "...Is that a bicycle on the wall?"

"Huh?" The mustachioed man turned and looked up at a spot above Jack's head. He laughed. "Oh yeah! Fuckin' awesome! I wish I had a hot pink bike!"

"Language, son..."

His son was distracted -- by Jack. "Hey, brah! Watch your head!"

Jack ducked lower in his seat, both because he was now hyper-aware of the apparently ill-mounted bicycle on the wall above him, and because he wanted to avoid the drama unfolding with the duo.

"Keep your voice down," the father began to scold him. The rest was said in a hushed tone, but Jack managed to make out the words, "you're embarassing me."

The two men bickered in stage-whispers in front of the "please seat yourself" sign for a few more minutes, and try as he might, Jack could not help but overhear pieces of what was being said. Comments like "disappointment" and "I don't even want you here" were hard to ignore.

"Fine!" The older man finally threw his hands up in the air and stormed out of the restaurant.

The young man with the moustache sighed and looked around for a place to sit alone. His eyes settled on Jack, and to Jack's horror, he approached. "Hey..."

"Oh, uh, hi?" Jack covered his mouth as he spoke after having just taken a bite of food.

"I don't know how much you heard of that, but just wanted to apologize for the scene. Super not cool."

"Oh? I didn't notice."

The young man laughed. "Sure you didn't. Well, it's nice to meey you. My name is B-- you know what? It's a shitty fucking name. Just call me 'Shitty'." He held out his hand to Jack.

Jack looked up at him reluctantly as they shook hands. "I... don't think I can call you that... but, um, my name is Jack."

"For real, brah, it's better than my actual name. 'Shitty' is fine -- my friends in high school called me that too -- it's not a spur-of-the-moment thing I'm saying because I just fought with my dad, I swear."

"Okay... Shitty."

"Awesome, Jack." Shitty beamed at him. He looked down at Jack's nearly-cleared plate. "Sorry, I'll let you finish in peace, just wanted to apologize for the colossal awkwardness. My family has this long tradition of going to Harvard and I chose to go here instead, so my dad has been pissy ever since because I'm not following in his footsteps as planned. You know how it is, family expectations and bullshit like that... Or, maybe you don't know know, but like, you've heard of it before and shit."

Jack nodded his head and answered back quietly, "I... yeah. My lifelong plan was to follow in my dad's footsteps too. I was supposed to have the same career... but now I'm here, so... yeah. I get it."

Jack's pulse raced. Why had he shared that with a complete stranger? Shitty did not seem to mind. "Dads, right? What'cha gonna do?" Shitty said with a shrug.

"...Right."

"Anyway, I'm going to gorge on burritos. See ya around, Jack." Shitty turned back around after taking only a few steps away. "And seriously m'dude, careful when you stand. A bump on that beautiful noggin would be a fuckin tragedy."

"Oh, um... thanks? Shitty?"

"Atta brah!"

Jack was confused by that word, but chose to push it out of his mind as he finished his meal and paid. It had been over an hour, so Jack decided to return to the office for his student ID. He hoped it would be ready by now and that he would not have to force more awkward conversation with the woman who worked there.

To his relief, she was not at the desk when he entered. However, to his dismay, there were images of one of his mother's famous photoshoots on her computer monitor. Jack considered leaving before he was noticed, but sat down in the waiting area instead. It would be better to get the whole interaction over with as soon as possible.

The young woman returned at that moment. "Oh! You're back! Perfect timing." She popped around the corner and came back holding Jack's ID card. He reached out to take it from her, but she stepped back. "Not so fast..."

Jack blinked. "Um... what?"

"Can I have your number?"

"Oh. I, uh..." Jack was at a loss for what to say. "I don't have a phone."

"Then what's that in your pocket? You don't seem that happy to see me..."

Jack blushed. "I, uh-- I'm changing it soon. Getting a local number..."

"Hm..." She stared at him in a way that made Jack squirm. "Okay, well, I'm a photography major and I would really love it if you'd model for me sometime."

"Oh. Oh! I'm, uh-- flattered, but... I'm kinda hoping to stay out of the spotlight here. Fly under the radar, you know? I don't think I... I'd probably suck at it, anyway."

"Well..." She grabbed a post-it note from the desk and quickly scribbled out a number. She stuck it to the back of Jack's card and handed it over. "Here's my number. Call me if you change your mind."

"Okay. Thanks... um..." Jack put the card in his wallet, careful not to damage the post-it note. "I don't think it's right for me... I've always felt more comfortable behind the camera instead of in front of it... but if I change my mind, I'll let you know."

"I get that. Thanks anyway." The girl dropped back down into her seat and instantly began texting on her phone again. "Just remember-- I've got dibs if you change your mind. Better not see you posing for someone else's project."

"Got it. Um, nice meeting you." Jack made a hasty retreat.

Instead of going back to his dorm room, he went straight to the library known as "Founders" to check out some books. It was gorgeous inside, and Jack knew instantly that he had found his favourite studying space. He opted to stay there for most of the afternoon.

He skyped his parents when he finally returned to his dorm room. His dad answered. "Hey, bud! How's it going down there?"

"Good." Jack said with a small smile.

Alicia quickly joined on the screen. "Jackie! Oh, I was hoping you'd call today!"

"We want to give you your space and all, but feel free to call as often as possible," Bob added.

"How are you, sweetheart? How was your day?" Alicia asked.

"It was good. I got my student ID so I could take out some books from the library--"

"Was it Founders? I adore Founders!"

Jack chuckled. "Yeah." He paused for a moment while Alicia quickly described the library to her husband. He continued with his day once she was done. "I went to this restaurant on campus called 'Jerry's' for lunch. It was good. I, uh... I met a guy there who seems nice -- he talked about 'bras' a lot for some reason, but he seemed nice."

"Bras, eh? Maybe he was just trying to show how 'supportive' he can be," Bob said, followed by a snicker at his own terrible dad joke.

Alicia gave him a light smack on his chest. "What's this boy's name?"

Jack froze when he remembered. "Oh? It's... Shitty."

"That's not very nice, Jack." Alicia frowned.

"No, literally. He asked me to call him that -- he wouldn't tell me his real name," Jack rushed to explain. "He's... interesting. He has a moustache."

"Well, see? Your third day on campus and you've already made a friend!"

"Oh, I don't know about that -- who knows if I'll even see him again. It's a big campus. Although, I guess he's an athlete if he's here so early in August," Jack thought out loud. "Maybe at a mixer-- IF I go to one. I mean, I'm not really sure how I'd feel if I went to one of those yet..."

"...How are you feeling your first couple days? Settling in okay, kiddo?" Bob asked.

"It's been pretty good... it's really quiet on campus, but I know that will change soon. I've been doing some exploring on my morning runs. Checking out my routes to and from all of my classes and Faber. The libraries are really nice. I think I'll study there most of the time."

Alicia smiled gently. "That's nice. It's really great to hear you're making yourself comfortable."

Bob was beaming. "Good job, son. Really proud of this step you've made."

"Well, it's not the NHL, but..." Jack trailed off when he saw his parents frown. "... I'm making best of it. I think I'll enjoy it here. Excited for classes to start. Got some books today -- I'm going to start reading for my classes early so it's not too overwhelming once the semester and hockey season start. Dr. Thibodeau suggested pacing myself and getting into a doable routine early so that I have less... um, surprises... during exam times and all that. Less pressure."

"Sounds like a solid plan."

"It's wonderful, sweetheart. Remember, we're only a phone call away if you need us. We love you so much."

"You can do it. Luckily, you got your mother's brains."

Jack chuckled. "Thanks. Love you guys too."

Bob's jaw dropped open in fake shock. "He didn't deny it! Not even for a second, Ali! I've got brains too, you know!"

"Oh, quiet. Goodnight sweetheart!" Alicia disconnected the call while everyone was laughing.

Jack slid his laptop onto his desk and stretched out on his bed. As he looked up at the ceiling, he wondered if he would ever run into "Shitty" again. He seemed like the kind of guy who could befriend anybody -- even someone like Jack.

He felt guilty about their conversation earlier. For implying that he understood exactly what Shitty was going through with his dad. Jack knew that his parents were probably disappointed in some way that he had not made it to the NHL, but at least they never said so to his face. Every conversation with his parents seemed to include one or both of them telling Jack how proud they were, how much they loved him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bob and Alicia have a big discussion after ending the skype call about the possibility of one day having a son in law named "Shitty". Lol


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains douchey hockey bros. Proceed with caution.  
> It also contains snuggles and rocks, so... you might want to read it haha

 Jack did see Shitty again. To his shock -- and delight -- he was also on the hockey team. Shitty had an uncanny ability to befriend and annoy nearly everyone on the team, but the former was more true than the latter when it came to Jack.

He found a lot of what Shitty said shocking, but he had yet to find anything he said to be annoying. Unfortunately, that was not true for the majority of his other teammates.

Jack smiled as he recounted stories from his life at Samwell to his parents. He assured them that the team was great and they were really clicking on the ice, however, his team was less than friendly outside of the rink. 

Jack was frequently excluded from extracurricular activities with his teammates. When Shitty caught him coming home from a late morning run one Sunday, and regaled him with how little he could remember from Hazeapalooza the night before on account of being "so fucking schwasted" -- Jack forced a smile and a moderately convincing laugh.

"Yeah, it was crazy," he replied, as though he had been there too.

It was nothing that Jack could not handle. He was used to being treated like an outsider on his teams due to his famous father, and at least for the time being, Shitty seemed to enjoy his company. He had managed in the Q with only Parse as a genuine friend, he knew that he would be fine if Shitty ended up being the only friend he made at Samwell.

Still, it was hard to ignore the little jokes, comments, and whispers wherever he went. No matter how much Jack had hoped to avoid it and get a fresh start, his reputation had preceded him. Jack tolerated the childish behaviour from his teammates as best he could, but the rising tension came to a head at a Haus party dubbed "Hallowkegster" in late October.

Jack had been in a good mood following a big win, and allowed Shitty to drag him along to his first college party. It was a mistake. One hour and 3 sips into his cup of "tub juice," it happened.

"Well, look who decided to grace the peasants with his presence!" A voice said loudly behind him.

Jack turned, expecting to see Shitty. Instead, he found one of the juniors from his team. "Huh? Me?"

"You were in that bathroom for a while, huh? What were you up to for so long."

Jack blinked. He had stepped into the bathroom to hide away from the party for a few minutes, but surely that was an inappropriate question to ask anyone. "Um... Excuse me?"

"Old habits die hard, huh?"

"I-- I don't know what... Huh?"

"Cut the crap, okay? There's no way you'd be playing as well as you are now without a little 'help.' And fuck it, normally I wouldn't care as long as it won us games, _but_ \--" The junior slammed his hand against the wall beside Jack's head. "I don't like being bumped off the first line by some burn out freshman."

Jack backed up further against the wall and tried his best to keep his breathing steady. "You could try playing better?"

That was a mistake. "You know what? Fuck you, Zimmermann. What are you even fucking doing here? _I_ sure as hell didn't invite you."

"I-- Shitty brought me. I came here with him." Jack chastised himself mentally for letting this teammate intimidate him. He was not harming anyone by attending the party. Hell, he was hardly even speaking to anyone at the party. "Fine. I'll go."

Jack tried to squeeze past the junior to leave, but found another teammate blocking his path. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Not so fast, Zimmermann! Can't have you running off to go cry now. We know how _sensitive_ you are."

"True."

Jack was trapped in the back of the hallway. A few students came and went from a flip-cup tournament being held in the next room, but they either did not notice or did not care about what was going on. "You don't want me here, so just let me leave."

"Why? So you can go do some more coke?" The second junior tapped his nose.

"Nah, bro. He just did a bunch in the bathroom."

Jack frowned. "I did not!" He insisted.

"It might give you an edge on the ice, but real men don't need that shit. I may not be first line material anymore now that you're here, but at least I'm not so weak to turn into a suicidal coke head just because one thing in my life didn't go the way I wanted it to."

"Yeah, it must be really hard being an attractive millionaire with famous parents that give you everything you want."

"Even cocaine -- his mom is a model or some shit, they all do drugs. I bet she's the one who got him hooked."

"Is that how it is, 'Not-So-Great-One?' Like mother, like son?"

Jack shoved him and was knocked back against the wall, spilling his cup of tub juice on all three of them. "Fuck you!" He groaned.

"She went to this school too, right? Who's dick did she suck to get a fuck up like you accepted here?" The juniors both laughed and gave each other a fist bump.

Jack saw red. He clenched his fist and drew back but before he could land his punch, the man who had made the crude joke about Alicia was sent sideways against the wall. He gripped both sides of his head as he slid down to the floor. 

"What the actual fuck, brah?!" Shitty was one of the shortest guys on the team, but at that moment -- even while dressed as Lady Gaga aka "Shitty Gaga" -- he towered over his older teammates. "You can't say shit like that about a guy's fucking mom, dude! Or anyone! Seriously, why--" His rant was cut short when the first junior punched him in the gut. 

Jack redirected his punch to avenge the one that landed on Shitty, and hit the junior in the jaw. An all-out brawl ensued. A few seniors came to break it up, and started scolding their underclassmen when they heard the cause of the fight -- the third year students in particular. As soon as they got their break, Jack grabbed Shitty by his denim vest and dragged him out the back door of the Haus. They did not stop running until they were back at the freshman dorms. 

"Holy shit! Holy fucking shit!" Shitty was both gasping for breath and laughing when the door to Jack's room shut behind them. "I can't believe we just fucking did that!" He pulled off his platinum blond wig and wriggled out of the constrictive top half of his rubber meat dress.

"Sorry--"

"What?! Jack! _My **dude!**_ That was fucking _epic!_ Those dicks are the ones that should be apologizing anyway! Bro--" Shitty grabbed Jack by both shoulders and gave him a small shake, but his smile quickly dropped from his face. "Oh, fuck me with a rusty fork -- you're bleeding!"

Jack was less surprised to hear that He was bleeding than he was to hear that particular string of words leave Shitty's mouth. He knew the standard set of English swear words, but Shitty had a creative way of speaking. "Um... _What?_ "

"It's just a figure of speech."

"I don't think anyone else says that, Shits." Jack cracked a smile.

"Sure they do!"

Jack gave in to a fit of snickers. He was right, nobody else had Shitty's way with words. "Whatever you say, man."

Shitty laughed too. "Fuck, brah. Is _that_ your laugh? It's fucking adorable. New goal: get you to do that snickery-giggly shit whenever I possibly can."

Jack dabbed his face with a hand towel and discovered he was in fact bleeding from a small cut above his right eyebrow. He winced and walked to the bathroom to see how bad it was. "Doesn't look like I'll need stitches, at least..."

Shitty clicked his tongue and shook his head sadly when Jack returned with a bandaid on his forehead. "Those rat-bastards... harming your beautiful face... Shame on them."

"We were _all_ fighting--"

" ** _SHAME!_** Some things are just off limits, you know?"

"Like my face?"

"Yeah, and other things, like _moms_."

Jack sighed and sat down on his bed next to Shitty. "Thanks for that. Really. You didn't have to help me back there..."

"What? Of course, brah! You're my friend, and like, the coolest bro on this fucking team. You've got that sexy little accent and you're a total dweeb who spends so much time studying history in the library -- what's not to love?"

"...You don't think I'm weird?" Jack asked cautiously.

"Nah, you're totally fuckin' weird, but why does that matter? Now, 'normal' guys -- _they're_  the creepy ones."

Jack chuckled and let out a shaky sigh of relief. "Got it."

"Dude, what gives?" 

"It's just... my parents are kinda famous, and--"

"Yeah, no shit, brah. Understatement of the century," Shitty said with a laugh as he threw an arm around Jack's shoulders.

"You knew?"

"Yeah, bro. Not like, the first time we met, but I went to get my student ID like an hour later and the girl there was all excited that she had just met  _Jack Zimmermann_  and I put the pieces together that that was who I had just met too."

"...Oh."

"Oh? What 'oh?' My dude, I do not give a flying fuck who your parents are."

"It's just-- all my life, people have avoided befriending me because of who my parents were -- who my dad was, especially. Or worse, they'd pretend to be my friend for a while then ditch me once the, uh, _novelty_ wore off. I've only ever really had one actual friend, and that... Well, it's complicated."

"Well, people are dicks... and now you've got _two_ friends." Shitty gave his shoulders a squeeze as a one-armed hug.

"Heh. Thanks, Shits." Jack continued to stare down at his lap, but he smiled. Somehow, without even trying, Jack had made his first friend at Samwell. "I hope you don't get in any trouble for what happened back there... because of me."

"I think we're good. Cap'n looked pretty pissed at those fuckwads for messing with you in the first place. I think they're in more trouble than we are, and I doubt anyone's telling the coach."

"Still, I'm really sorry for dragging you into that..."

"Are you kidding me? That was 'swawesome! I've never been in a legit fist fight before!"

Shitty's full moustache was deceiving, sometimes Jack forgot that he was only 18 years old. "Oh, haha. Was it everything you hoped for?"

"Fuck, yeah. I got to defend my bro's honour, and his _mom's_ honour, and it was against 2 douchenozzles who definitely deserved it,  _and_  we  ** _won!_** "

"Well, I don't really know if I'd call that winning -- the captain intervened and we ran away," Jack snickered.

"Still counts. Hey, what--" Shitty stopped mid-sentence to give a wolf-whistle when Jack took off his tub juice-soaked shirt. "Nice, bro. Goals."

Jack chuckled awkwardly and pulled a clean shirt over his head. The last time he had a friend that complimented his appearance as much as Shitty did, things turned more-than-friendly. Come to think of it, Shitty complimented him more than Parse ever did. "You... I don't know how to react to the things you say, sometimes..." He admitted.

"You're hot bro," Shitty admitted with a shrug. "Thought you'd be used to the compliments by now."

"Oh, I uh... I had some pretty awkward teen years... and child years... and baby years...."

"And yet here you stand, this glorious human specimen! This Adonis! Michelangelo himself could not sculpt a better man out of marble! With cheekbones that could cut glass!"

"I don't think marble is hard enough to cut glass... Nope. Definitely not."

Shitty stared at him wide-eyed. "What? Who even knows shit like that? Are you pulling my leg?"

"Huh? No, my grandparents got this, uh, what do you call it? A rock-tumbling kit? Um, yeah, one of those for my birthday one year and I got really into like, rocks and minerals for a while..."

Shitty laughed. "Shut up. That is phen- _fucking_ -omenal!"

Jack chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "...I wanted to be the first NHL player-slash-geologist when I grew up," he admitted.

"This is my favourite story ever." Shitty flopped back on Jack's bed to stare at the ceiling. "How old were you?"

"Oh, like... 19?"

"What?! You--" Shitty looked up to find Jack snickering. "Oh, you little _fucker!_ You made that all up to mess with me?!" He dragged Jack down onto the bed and started play-wrestling him.

Jack laughed heartily and finally broke free. "It's _almost_ true! I wasn't 19 -- I was, like, 8 or 9?"

"Fuckin' adorbs, brah. Fuckin' _adorbs_." They caught their breath in silence, only chuckling occasionally at the absurdity of their night. "Whoooa shit, I am  _so_  wasted..."

"You are?"

"Yeah, dude. No clue what is in that, uh... tub juice? But it's delicious, huh?"

"Yeah," Jack said and shrugged. "... To be honest, Shits? I only had a couple sips. Drinking and parties... I don't really do that anymore. I... I won't do that anymore. I _can't_."

"Oh. Oh, fuck! Shit, man. I am so sorry. I wasn't even thinking-- Fucking shitballs. No wonder you didn't want-- and I kept trying to drag you to _every_ fucking party? Like some kinda giant asshole? Holy fuck, why didn't you tell me off?"

Jack was overcome with guilt over Shitty being overcome with guilt. "No, really. It's okay. I wanted to go tonight..."

"Sorry that it sucked swollen donkey balls."

"It's not your fault. Maybe I just need more time before I attempt a party again. Even though it went badly at the end, it was nice to feel like... part of the group again."

Shitty hesitated to speak for one of the first times in his life. "Um... didn't you just kinda... hang out by the wall all night?"

"Yeah, but that's what I usually did, unless I was drunk. It... used to calm my nerves... until..."

"Nah, nah. I got'cha dude. No worries. You don't have to explain to me if you don't want." 

"Oh."

"Unless you want to talk about it?"

"No, not really..." Jack sighed.

Shitty rolled over onto his side. "Hey, you know what? You should take that 'hot rocks' class!"

"Hot rocks?"

"Some of the older guys were talking about it the other day. I don't know what it's actually called, they all just call it 'hot rocks.' I think it's about volcanoes or some shit. Sounds right up your alley."

"Haha. Maybe. Thanks, I'll look into it." Jack chuckled. "If--" he stopped when a skype call came in. "Oh! Hey," Jack smiled at the screen.

"Hi, sweetheart. I didn't know if you'd be back in your room already. Didn't you go to that party?"

"Uh, yeah. I did, but um... we left early," Jack said sheepishly.

"We?" Alicia blushed crimson when she noticed her son's disheveled hair in the low lighting of his dorm room lamp. "Oh! Oh god! Oh my-- I'm so sorry. You're a grown man, and-- I'm sorry, angel. You get back to your, um,  _guest_ and we can talk in the morning, or--"

"Maman? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart. Just fine! I'm only embarrased to have interrupted you..." she cleared her throat. "So, um, have fun! Be safe. Oh god, I'm just making this more awkward with every word out of my mouth..."

"Huh?"

Shitty knew what was going on. He sat up and patted Jack's shoulder, confident that he would clear up any confusion simply by showing his face. "I've got this, brah. Heyyy Mrs. Z. Jack's mom. Mama Zimmermann. Ooh! Mama Z. Can I call you Mama Z?"

Alicia gasped quietly when Shitty came into view. " _Moustache!_ " Was all she managed to say. She had shared many conversations with both her son and her husband since Jack met the enigmatic man with the moustache. He had talked a lot about this boy named Shitty, and now here he was in her son's bed, apparently shirtless -- at least shirtless.

"Epic, right? Thanks for noticing!" Shitty grinned proudly. "I've only been growing it for a few months, but it's nice, right? _Lush_."

Alicia laughed. "Took the words right out of my mouth!"

"Swawesome, Mama Z. Hella 'swawesome."

Alicia clapped her hands together. "Okay, well. Great talk. Like I said, be safe. Have fun. I will let you boys, um..."

"Hey, no, no, no! There's been some kind of misunderstanding. We weren't hooking up or anything," Shitty rushed to explain.

Jack's mouth fell open. "What? Shits! Why would you say that to--"

"It's cool, m'dude. Your mom thought she  interrupted some sexy times...  _with me_. Y'know, bros being bros banging it out."

" _Shitty!_ " Jack was mortified. "Maman, we weren't-- we just-- we went to the party, but... uh..."

"It's  _entirely_  my fault, Mrs. Z. I got too drunk on this tub juice stuff and started a fight." Shitty put his arm around Jack's shoulder and gave him a squeeze. "And this shimmering Adonis of a man came to my rescue! My fucking hero!"

"Oh, come on..." Jack chuckled.

Alicia smiled. "That's my sweet boy, looking after his friends."

"Right?! Regular sweetie-pie, huh? So,  ** _PLEASE_** tell me about baby rock-loving Jack! I've been literally dying to know every detail since I found out about that adorable little dweeb ten minutes ago."

Alicia laughed when that kicked off another round of playful wrestling. That explained the boys' disheveled hair from earlier. "Oh god, that rock collection! We still have it. Want me to send it to you, sweetheart?"

"No, that's ok--"

"Yes! Yes! Sweet holy fuck, yes! Mama Z! I will do _literally **anything**_ you ever ask! I need those rocks more than I need oxygen!"

" _Shits_..."

"Brah! **Brah**. Listen, _dude_. You _gotta!_ Teach me every tedious thing you know about rocks and I will live for _every_ second of it!"

"Well, he did make me this," Alicia said and tugged on the delicate chain hanging around her neck to reveal a small stone pendant. "He said it was 'pretty like maman' so _of course_ I had to keep it forever."

"O. M. Fucking. G. That is _literally_  too adorable."

"I should let you boys get some rest." Alicia chuckled. 

"But! The stories! Wee baby Jack and his treasured bag of rocks!"

"They will have to wait for next time. Good night boys. I'll talk to you tomorrow, sweetheart, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Shitty..." Jack chuckled. "Sounds good, maman. Good night."

Jack slid his laptop back onto his desk and was surprised to find Shitty stripping down to his boxers when he turned back around. "Oh, I'm totally crashing here tonight," Shitty informed him.

"Um..."

"That's cool, right?"

"Um, well... I just have one bed..."

"No worries, brah. I like to snuggle."

Jack shifted a little father away on his bed, pretending it was only to better reach the lamp on his desk. "But..."

"What's a snuggle between bros? Snuggles are amazing. You look like you could use a good snuggle."

"But, uh... isn't that kinda..." Jack trailed off. "I mean, we're both guys, and..."

Shitty scoffed. "Dude. Snuggles are _platonic_. Fuck the toxic masculinity that tells us bros aren't allowed to snuggle up after a long day. And don't get me wrong, you are abso-fucking-lutely the most _goddamn_ beautiful man I have ever seen. Like, those eyes! Jesus H. _Christ_ , brah! And the cheekbones, forget about it! And that ass could _literally_ stop traffic-- what was I trying to say here?"

"I really don't know..."

"Oh! Basically, just that you're the hottest fucking guy I have  _ever_  fucking seen, but alas, to date, I have never been into dudes. Including now."

"O... Kay...?"

"It'd be like wanting to fuck a classic painting, or like, a sunset -- you're a work of art, m'dude."

Jack chuckled to dismiss the compliments. "You're a strange guy, Shitty."

Shitty laughed. "Right back at ya, buddy. It's why we've gotta stick together."

Jack turned off his lamp and crawled into bed. When Shitty followed suit and shimmied under the sheets, Jack made sure to lie on top of the sheets instead. He was not sure how this "platonic snuggling" business was supposed to go, but he knew he did not want to risk anything ruining this new friendship. 

Shitty wrapped himself around Jack's arm, but grumbled when the sheets interfered with the movement of his leg. "Jack, come on. You can't just lie there like a hockey stick. Move your limbs a little. At least get into the same layer of bedding."

"That... um... I think it's, uh... I'm a bit uncomfortable with this."

"Dude. Don't be like that."

"Like what?" 

"One of those 'physical affection is gay' kind of guys."

"But..." 

" **Brah**."

Jack kept his face turned towards the ceiling, even though he could not see it in the dark. "So this really isn't, like... this isn't something that's going to turn into something else?"

"No, just snuggles. I promise." Shitty sighed and started to pull away. "If you're really uncomfortable with this, then--"

"No. If it's-- I'm okay if you're okay with it. But, um, maybe just arms and stuff? If you wrap your leg around me or something, that..." Jack was grateful for the pitch black room. This was too awkward a conversation to have face to face. "That's probably too much."

"Okay. Boundaries. Cool. I can work with that." Shitty nestled his way underneath Jack's arm and stretched one of his across Jack's chest. " _Wow_. Dynamite pecs, brah."

"Hey, Shitty?"

"What?"

"Go to sleep."

"Okay fine," Shitty said with another sigh. It was quiet for a grand total of 15 seconds before he spoke again. "I hope you don't end up with a black eye from that punch."

"Yeah," Jack began. "Too bad that dress of yours wasn't made of  _real_ steak, eh?" He snickered.

"You're such a fucking dork." Shitty grinned when Jack snickered even more. "You want me to grab you a cold compress or something just in case?"

"It's okay. Just go to sleep."

"Okay." 

Jack could tell that his drunk friend was not ready to settle in for the night. After a minute of fidgetting and opening his mouth to speak, then closing it again, Jack finally gave into his friend's restlessness. "What's on your mind, Shits?"

"I need a bedtime story--" Shitty heard Jack open his mouth to object, and rushed to finish his sentence. "--about your favourite rocks."

"It's too hard to pick a favourite."

"Well, tell me one that you think is cool, at least."

"Well, obsidian is pretty cool...  _now_." Jack's chest shook with another snicker.

"Oh? What's this? I sense I missed a super lame joke. Explain."

"It's like, volcanic glass. So it used to be _hot_ , but then it _cooled_."

"Ho. Ly. Fuck. _Brah_. That fucking settles it. We're taking that 'hot rocks' class. You'll be king of that class. Rock King. Rock Master. Lord of the Rocks."

"Good night, Shitty."

"Good night, Rock Lord."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shitty receives a text from an unknown number the next afternoon...  
> ???: Is this Shitty?  
> Shitty: it is. And who may I ask is texting?  
> ???: It's Alicia.  
> Shitty: who?  
> Alicia: Jack's mom.  
> Shitty: Mama Z! How's it hanging??  
> Shitty: Forget I asked that.  
> Alicia: Can you promise me something?  
> Shitty: Anything. What can I do for you?  
> Alicia: Can you keep being Jack's friend? He could really use one of those.  
> Shitty: EASY-PEASY lemon squeezy! I thought you were gonna ask something hard!  
> Shitty: I love that dweeb. No worries, Mama Z. I've got Jack's back.  
> Alicia: Wonderful! The rock collection is already in the mail ;)  
> Shitty: YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!! Brah! You rock!


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey frogs! It's fucking storytime!" Shitty grabbed Jack by his shoulders before he could flee. "This is the tale of how our fearless captain defended the Haus from the **_ENTIRE FOOTBALL TEAM_**."

"No no no, come on, Shits, don't tell them about that." Jack sunk a little lower into the hood of his sweatshirt like a turtle retreating into his shell.

"Braaah, if we don't, who will? Tradition and legacy and goddamn heritage and all that. Seniors gots responsibilities, _son_."

"The entire football team?!! Wow!!!" It was too late. Chowder was hooked.

As was Nursey. "Chill."

"Well! It all started with the most epic of kegsters. An Epikegster, if you will. The music was booming and the tub juice was flowing and one of those cock-faced dick bags ralphed all over my room. Word of warning, dear frogs, if you one day get so lucky as to grace the walls of the Haus with your living-in-ness, lock your fucking bedroom doors during kegsters. Around 2am, the chunks start flying."

"Ew." Dex grimaced.

"Anyway, where was I?" Shitty looked at Jack for help getting back on track, but Jack just chuckled and shook his head. "This bashful little fucker..." Shitty messed with the touque on Jack's head. "Okay! So, that dick threw up literally all over my entire bed. So I'm flipping out, 155lbs of unbridled fury -- this was sophomore year, I was not the buff god you see before you today -- and his dumbfuck buddy punches a hole in my goddamn wall! Like what the literal actual fuck, right? Nursey, you're with me on this, right?"

"Mad od, brah. Uncalled for."

"Right?"

"He didn't punch your wall, Shits. He kicked your door," Jack corrected him. "That's why you have a hole in your bedroom door."

"Yes! My door! I _knew_ you cared about this story! You're a horrible liar with an ass that won't quit!" Shitty shook him by the shoulders, too excited to stay still. 

Off to the side, Dex nodded his head in quiet agreement and when Nursey noticed it, they began a slap fight. "Oh no!! You guyyys!!!" Chowder wriggled in between his best friends to break up their bickering.

"Frogs! Pay attention! I promise that if you miss the end of this story you will literally totally regret it for the entirety of your lives!"

"Sorry, Shitty. _Continue_." Nursey straightened out his vest pretending to be completely innocent, even though the leaf now stuck to his touque gave him away for roughhousing.

"So I'm readying myself to kick some ass and take some names, when up from the staircase there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my vomit-soaked room to see what was the matter!"

"...Isn't this from 'Twas the Night Before Christmas?" Dex asked.

"Quiet, butt-nugget." Shitty took a deep breath. "And what to my wondering eyes should appear? Captain JACK FUCKING ZIMMERMANN with a motherfucking fire extinguisheeer!"

"D minus for the rhyme, brah."

"Shut up, Nursey. So! My knight in shining armour was just like, 'it's time for you boys to go' and he grabs them both by their collars and literally drags them out of the Haus!"

"While he was holding the fire extinguisher?"

Jack shook his head. "No no, Shits. I didn't have the fire extinguisher yet. That was still downstairs." For someone who claimed he did not want to have the story repeated, he was sure concerned with getting the details right.

"Oh! Right, right, shit! Okay, so Jack drags them right outside and basically tosses them into the yard. Party goes back to normal levels of 'swawesome until about five minutes later, those football turds show up with their entire fucking O-line. I shit you not, these dudes had to be pushing 350 lbs a piece. So tall -- taller than HOLTZY, even -- the bastards blocked out the moon, they were _that_ tall."

"Wow!!!!"

"Sounds fake."

"Keep talking, dudes. I have dibs to give at the end of this year, so I'd find my story compelling, if I were you."

"I do!!!"

"I know you do, Chowder. I was talking to my fellow Andover alum."

"I find it fascinating," Dex said.

"Nobody likes a kiss-ass, Poindexter." Shitty said straight-faced. "So, these big fucking football dudes come crashing back into the Haus and  _this_  little fucker blessed with the beauty of 1000 moonlit nights grabs a fucking fire extinguisher and just _fssssssht!_ Sprays them all!!! Those bastards turned tail and ran out of there _so_ fast."

Holster and Ransom came jogging up from behind the group. "Aw, man. Are you telling the frogs about Epikegster?" Ransom asked.

"When Jack turned that fire extinguisher on those dudes? LEGENDARY!"

"That party took up two whole issues of the Swallow. Talk about _goals_. Making the Swallow not one, but two weeks in a row? That's the dream!"

"Sounds 'swawesome!" Chowder's eyes were sparkling.

"Bro, we should try another one this year."

"Bro. Yes. Definitely, I am _in_."

Jack frowned. "I don't think that's--" he turned to appeal to their group and noticed one person was missing. Bittle would have his back if he discouraged a raucous party. "... Where's Bittle?" 

"Taking an extra-long, extra-hot shower. He said he needed to absorb all the heat he could before braving the cold outside," Holster explained.

"It's only November."

"Yeah, he's been doing that since like, mid-September," Ransom laughed. "Little bro gets cold so easily."

"Oh. If he was cold I could have just given him my hoodie," Jack said with a hint of disappointment. He disliked that Bittle had missed his tale of heroism, and made a note to tell it to him -- _properly_ \-- another time. Shitty's rendition lacked the attention to detail and subtle humour that Jack had mastered over the past two years of retelling it to his famous 'uncles'.

"I can't believe you turned a fire extinguisher on the entire football team," Nursey said with a chuckle. "Chill."

"And this was the  _football_ team? I thought we only had a grudge with the lacrosse team," Dex asked.

Shitty made a dramatic, nearly inhuman sound. "No no no no no. Excuse you, there is no mere 'grudge' against the LAX bros. That is a blood feud. They are our mortal enemies."

"And the football team is... what?"

"They were banned from kegsters for a year. All is forgiven now. I mean, they're no soccer team, but they're pretty okay."

"Yeah. Soccer bros are stand up bros. Football guys are decent. Swim team, crew, baseball, wrestling, all good. Basically anyone but the LAX bros," Ransom explained.

"They're all fucking named Chad. Fuck those guys. It's in the bylaws," Shitty started a rant, but stopped himself. He elbowed Jack in his side instead. "It's been a while since we've pranked them, huh? Maybe we need to take the frogs on a team-building excursion across the street this weekend."

" _Definitely_ not," Jack insisted when he noticed one of his professors walking within earshot towards her morning class. He cleared his throat and continued in the most captain-ly tone he could muster under the circumstances. "We must be respectful of our fellow students, and pranks are mean-spirited and... not good."

Shitty laughed. "Oh really? Well then please remind me who the hell it was shouting 'FUCK THE LAX BROS!!!' while throwing water balloons through their open bedroom windows at 3am last time..."

"That was  ** _you,_**  Shits."

"But you laughed _really_ hard when I told you the next day."

"I did not."

"You _absolutely_ did, I remember it vividly. You said, and I quote, 'Haha _ha_. Nice.' I've never seen you so overjoyed outside of winning a game, Mr. Zimmermann." Bitty trotted up beside him with his jacket clenched tightly around his chest. As soon as he was in pace with the group, he cut into the centre of them so that his larger teammates would block him from the November wind. "Good lord, it's cold out this morning, isn't it?"

Jack chuckled and unzipped his hoodie. "Here, Bittle." He slipped it off of his arms and draped it around Bitty instead, tugging the arms into a knot to avoid it from falling off.

"Jack, no! You'll freeze! It's--"

"It's  _fine,_ Bittle. Really. The dining hall is right there." He punctuated his sentence with a rustling of Bitty's hat.

Bitty blushed and clutched Jack's hoodie closer around him, trying his best not to stare at Jack as he walked through the crisp morning air in only a tight white t-shirt and a touque. "Thank you, Jack."

"Can't have you freezing out here now, eh? Who else is going to help me with that big final project for our baking class?"

"Oh? I see how it is, Mr. Zimmermann," Bitty said with a grin. "It's not my fault, you know. I was not born for these frigid temperatures. I spent my first eighteen years on God's green earth in the Georgia heat, it will take me a few more to get acclimated to a Massachusetts winter."

"Bro, isn't Chowder from Cali? He's not cold," Ransom pointed out.

"I've always liked the cold. Maybe because I was born here. My first ever winter was here at Samwell. My second one too, I think," Chowder said in his typical cheery tone. "Do you want my mittens, Bitty?"

"Aww, you sweet boy! It's okay, Chowder. We're almost there," Bitty said with an adoring smile as he politely refused his goalie's tuquoise San José Sharks mittens. 

The group entered the dining hall with Bitty pushing his way through the door first, behaviour incongruous with his usual southern manners. Their other teammates all laughed.

"I think he checked me!" Holster said accusingly through his laughter.

Bitty was still wearing his coat, scarf, hat, and Jack's hoodie when they all settled in at their usual table. Dex and Ransom were trying to convince him he would warm faster if he shed a few layers, but Bitty held firm. "Well, I can't take off my _hat_ because a certain captain who shall remain nameless has thoroughly messed up my hair underneath."

A few chairs down, Shitty was distracted by something else entirely.  " _Holy shit,_ Jack! Looks like it's not just your _cheekbones_ that could cut glass!" Shitty grabbed the attention of the entire table as he sat down across from his best friend. 

"What?"

Holster laughed and pointed to Jack's chest. "Ohhh my god. Control yourself, Jack. You're in public! So indecent! Have you no shame?"

Bitty let out a small yelp and tossed Jack's hoodie directly at his face. "Sorry! Um-- for your face and your, _um_..."

"His **_NIPS!!!_** "

"Oh?" Jack looked down as he slipped his arms back through his sleeves and zipped his hoodie back halfway. "I guess it was a _little_ cold outside, eh?" He snickered.

" _What?_ Slay me _fucking **dead!**_ I can't-- **_You_** can't just assault a dude's eyes so early in the morning with your sexy rock-hard nips and just expect to laugh it all off with a joke! I will be distracted by that glorious sight all day! If I fail my test today, it will be _entirely_ your fault!"

"Yo, Bitty. You okay?" Nursey asked. "Only person I thought could get that red was-- _Poindexter!_ Why are **_you_** blushing so much?!"

"Shut up! I'm embarrassed because everyone is causing a scene -- that includes you, Nurse."

"Sure, sure..."

"What?"

"He's a beautiful dude, brah. It wouldn't kill you to just admit it."

"I have nothing to admit!"

"Now, who's causing a scene?"

"Still _you!_ "

"Okay, guys. That's enough," Jack said in a much more convincing captainly tone than he had earlier, and put an end to the defensemen's bickering. The boys glared daggers at each other across the table for the remainder of their meal, but at least they kept quiet.

******

Jack hesitated to get up from his seat after class, and Bitty was quick to chirp him. "Are you enjoying this class  _that_ much? You don't get bonus points for staying late, you know?"

"No, I know... Just..."

Bitty's grin shifted to a look of concern. "Jack? What's wrong?"

"Professor Atley... she heard an embarrassing story about me this morning. I'm trying to figure out an escape plan without having to talk to her."

" _What?_ I've been with you all morning. When was _this?_ " The 'why haven't I heard this embarassing story' was heavily implied.

"On the way to breakfast. You were showering still. She was walking by while Shitty was talking about pulling pranks on the LAX bros, and I think she thinks that I've done that too." 

"Have you?"

"Well, **_yeah,_** but-- well, not that _specific_ time."

Bitty chuckled and gave him a nudgefrom his seat. "Have no fear. **_I_** will protect you from the nicest professor ever. Let's go."

Jack chuckled and stood up from his seat after a particularly strong nudge. "Two checks in one morning, eh Bittle? You know you're supposed to save those for the  _other_ team, right?" Jack snickered.

"Har-har, Mr. Zimmermann. Empty words coming from _you_ of all people."

"All those checking practices seem to be working. Maybe _too_ well." 

"You're right. You've created a monster. I, Eric Richard Bittle, am Samwell's goon." Bitty's laugh rang out in the now empty lecture hall. "As penance, you need to tell me about this embarassing prank."

"I wasn't a part of this one. It was all Shits, Rans, and Holster. Remember last year? When they threw those water balloons into the LAX house?"

"Remember? Why-- why would I _remember_ that? It's not like I was _there_."

"Bittle..."

"Mmhm?"

" _Were_ you with them?"

"I-- well-- I'll have you know that as the son of an esteemed football coach, I have an _excellent_ arm."

"Bittle..."

"Don't 'Bittle' me, Mr. Zimmermann. You just admitted to pranking them yourself! People in glass houses..." Bitty trailed off. 

"But I don't go around bragging about all of my pranks, like--" Jack had turned to chirp Bitty, but when he looked foreward once more, he came face to face with Professor Atley as she re-entered the room. "Oh, shit."

She laughed and shook her head. "You are  _so_ much like your mother..."

Bitty's eyes nearly popped out of his head. " ** _WHAT?!_** "

Jack was equally stunned, but quieter in his reaction. "What? You know my mom?"

"We were in the same sorority here at Samwell. Have I never told you this before?"

"No, ma'am. I would've remembered it..."

Professor Atley laughed again. "Oh! Well, I met your mother  _many_ years ago, and she was a _piece of_ _work_. Always the head of the pack when it came to our prank wars with our rival sorority."

"Oh. My. Go--"

"--Bittle, you can't tweet this."

"Oh. Right. Okay, I promise I won't tell another living soul if you let me stay here for this story."

"Okay, deal." Jack turned back to their professor. "She played lots of pranks?"

"Oh, definitely. Alicia loved a good harmless prank." Professor Atley sat down and kicked off her heals. "You know, _drama students_..."

Jack did not know what that meant, but he did not dare risk derailing the conversation. "What sorts of things did she do?"

"I should note that we  _all_ participated -- she wasn't some solitary prankster just stirring up trouble everywhere she went -- but, oh! Well, there was this _one_ time..." She began chuckling again.

"Professor Atley, you are  _literally_ kiling me with this suspense," Bitty piped up, but he only succeeded in getting her to laugh more. He let out a pained whimper.

"Where to even start? There were lots of little things -- baby powder in the hair dryer, that gel used to numb mouth pain in the toothpaste, plastic wrap on the toilet seat. One time, she lined up a bunch of half-empty beer bottles in the hall of the house and when the girls tried to leave for their morning classes, they couldn't take a step without making a mess."

"How did she get in their house for all these pranks?" Bitty asked.

"Usually after parties. She was friends with most of them. Like I said, it was mostly in good fun. They pranked us back, too."

" _Mostly_ in good fun?" Jack asked.

Professor Atley chuckled again. "Mostly. My personal favourite was one we pulled on a boy who cheated on one of our friends. While he was asleep, we set him afloat on an air mattress in the pond. I will  _never_ forget the sight of Alicia trying to inflate that darn air mattress with lung power alone, in between that silly giggle of hers. Maybe it was a  _little_ mean -- he sure did panic when he woke up and saw the crowd gathered on the beach -- but he deserved some kind of punishment. In the end, the only damage done was a bruised ego and the word 'cheater' on his forehead in permanent marker."

"I love it."

"And between me and you boys? I've met quite a few of those lacrosse members in my time, and I'm sure whatever punishment they got was well deserved." Professor Atley winked. "That does not leave this room, you hear?"

"I promise," Jack said sincerely.

"Cross my heart."

"So tell me, what was _really_ in those balloons?"

"Just water," Bitty replied. She looked skeptical, but he insisted. "Really, I swear."

Professor Atley scoffed. "Amateurs. Just plain water? Was it at least smelly river water?"

"I think it all came from the Haus. To be fair, I'm not confident that that tub had ever been regularly cleaned until I created our chore wheel."

Jack gave a small frown. "Hey, I clean."

"Why, of _course_ you do, captain. You set a good example... but have you  _been_ to Ransom and Holster's room? It's a good thing Rans is majoring in biology because that attic is a bio- _hazard_." Bitty turned to their professor. "And for the record, Professor Atley, I wanted to use hotdog water."

"That's more like it."

"Bittle..."

Bitty grinned up at Jack. "Well, at least Professor Atley thinks I'm cool."

Jack responded with another ruffle to Bitty's hat like he had earlier. Bitty swatted at him and he laughed. Their professor shook her head with a smile. "Oh! Um... I was just wondering... what was my mom like when she went here?"

"Oh, she was a lot of fun. A big dork, really, but in a good way. We teased her so much when she first started modeling. Lord knows she had the looks for it, but the fashion sense of that girl..." Professor Atley clicked her tongue. "I swear, 90% of the time she dressed like she was about to rob a 7/11."

Bitty guffawed. "Jack! It's in your blood! Ahhh!" He was too excited to continue on with any real words. 

"Huh? Bittle? What's wrong?"

"Professor Atley, thank you. Thank you **_so_** much. This has been eye-opening. Never in my life would I have guessed that the glamorous Alicia Zimmermann dressed as sloppy as her son back when she was his age. There's a chance for you yet, Jack."

"What? My clothes are comfortable!"

"Oh really? And are _yellow shoes_ more comfortable than the other colours?"

"I like them. They're cool."

" _Sure_ they are, Jack. Sure they are." Bitty gave Professor Atley a small wave as they left the lecture hall.

"Maybe I should take you shopping with me sometime. You could be like my personal stylist." Jack snickered.

"Don't you dare play with my heart like that, Mr. Zimmermann. I have  _dreamt_ of that exact situation more times than I care to admit. I mean _actually_ dreamt about it."

"Oh really? Do you dream about me often, Bittle?" Jack chirped, unknowingly asking a loaded question.

Bitty smiled and readied his chirp, still unaware of his exact feelings for Jack. "Oh, _all the **time!**_ I dream about collecting all of your Burger King robber clothing and using them as kindling for a large, green couch-sized bonfire. It's a fantasy I go to a lot, actually."

Jack snickered. "Well... next time I need a pair of jeans or something, I'll be sure to bring you with me."

"I will gladly accompany you on any fashion adventure."

"Good. It's a date." Jack froze as soon as the words left his mouth. Bitty stared at him, perplexed by Jack's sudden discomfort. "I, uh... I mean..."

"Relax, Jack. I know you don't mean it like  _that!"_  Bitty laughed it off.

Jack forced a smile and a quiet chuckle. "Oh. Um, good. Not like-- not  _good_ , like-- you're my friend, and you're an excellent hockey player--"

"Jack. Really. I know what you meant. It's no different than my 'dates' with Rans to get pumpkin spice lattes -- just friends."

"Yeah..." Jack felt a small twist in his gut, one caused by three and half years at '1 on 4 maybe more' Samwell University spent in the closet.

And Bittle -- Bittle would surely understand if he told him. Who better to confide in about the struggles of being queer and growing up in your father's shadow? Shitty and the other guys would all be supportive, too. Probably. There was always a "probably" tacked onto Jack's hopeful thoughts. It would probably be fine. His team would probably be able to keep his secret. The public probably wouldn't find out... but that was not a "definitely," so Jack kept quiet. 

Half a year left until he could hopefully get his second chance at the NHL, and no "probably" was worth risking all of his hard work.

Jack suddenly realized that Bitty had continued talking while he was lost in his own thoughts and now he struggled to catch up. "Hm?"

"They're  _much_ better at Annie's. I know starbucks is known as  _the_ place for PSL's, and guess what? I am  _happy_ to keep Annie's a secret. Shorter waits in line for the world's best specialty coffees." Bitty laughed.

"Want one now? My treat."

"Really? You don't have to pay--"

Jack stopped him. "I want to. Maybe I'll try one too."

"Oh lord, I would  _pay_ to see that. Put your wallet away, _I'm_ buying," Bitty said with a laugh as they went on their way to Annie's cafe.

******

"Hey maman," Jack greeted his mom with a smile as soon as she answered the Skype call.

"Hi Jackie! What a pleasant surprise! Judging by that smile, I'd guess you're having a good day!" Alicia was beaming at the sight of her happy son.

Their calls were fewer and farther between now in his senior year than they were when he first had started at Samwell, and it was a bonus that he was calling out of the blue. Especially since Jack seemed happy, rather than stressed or tired like he tended to be when he sought out his parents' support.

"Yeah," Jack chuckled as he spoke. "Today was... interesting."

"Oh, _interesting_. How so?"

"I didn't know that you went to school with Professor Atley. She said you were in the same sorority here at Samwell."

" _Alice_ Atley? She's your professor? Which course?" Alicia laughed.

"My 'Women, Food, and American Culture' class. The one I'm taking with Bittle."

"Oh, that's right! I remember you telling me about that. That's the reason you asked the coaches to switch up the morning practice schedule, right?"

"Yeah. Well, I know Bittle really wanted to take it... and, uh, it would be a good boost to his GPA which is important to play on a university team."

"Of _course,_ sweetheart." Alicia smiled. "Wow.

  _Alice Atley_. I'll have to make a point of seeing her next time I visit, it's been much too long since we last saw each other."

Jack waited patiently for his mother to finish her thought. "So..." The corner of his mouth ticked up in a grin -- something he  _definitely_ inherited from his father -- and Alicia knew a chirp was coming. "Float any air mattresses lately?"

"She told you about that?"

"Yeah."

"Did she tell you about the time I covered her entire doorway in duct tape and when she got up in the morning she walked right into it without opening her eyes?"

"What? Why? I thought you were in the same sorority."

"Yeah, but it was her birthday, so I had to do  _something!_ Part of the fun of birthdays is making your friends do something stupid," Alicia defended with a laugh. "Oh god, those were fun days.

"The boys took me to Jerry's for my birthday once and made me wear a giant sombrero the entire time," Jack told her.

"See? Exactly!"

"Bittle was also really exicted to hear Professor Atley say that you used to dress like... well, kinda like I do, I guess. He said that it meant there was still hope for me yet." He chuckled.

"Ohhh my god! Did she say I looked like I just robbed a 7/11?"

"Almost word for word."

Alicia rocked in her seat with laughter. "The girls used to tease me about that _all_ the time!"

"Haha. Yeah, she said that too."

"You know, sweetheart, if you _want_ some more fashionable clothes, I'd be happy to help you find some things next time I'm in town."

"No." Jack saw a twinge of shock on hia mother's face and hurried to explain. "Oh! No, just-- I kinda promised Bittle he could come with me next time I need clothes. He said it was basically his dream to get me to stop dressing like I was-- well, like _this_." He tugged on his hoodie to illustrate his point. "I'm gonna ask him to be my stylist."

"Oh, Bittle! That boy is too funny! How do you like taking that class together?"

"It's good. He's fun. We went to get coffee after class today. I tried one of those pumpkin lattes that Bittle always gets..."

"And?"

"It was sweet. I think I'll probably stick to regular coffee... but I can see the appeal."

"Hah! 'I can see the appeal.' A stunning Jack Zimmermann endorsement!" Bitty suddenly chimed in from the doorway. "Sorry, I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, I just heard my name as I was going by."

"Oh really? Are you sure you weren't texting this to all your twitter friends?" Jack teased.

"I might tweet _that_ sentence, but..." Bitty grinned. "Hello, Mrs. Zimmermann. Sorry for interrupting." He gave a small wave to Jack's laptop.

"Not at all! I hear you're going to take my boy shopping for some new clothes?"

"Oh, lord!" Bitty laughed. "Well, a boy can dream, right?"

"We'll go. I promise," Jack said with entirely too much sincerity.

Bitty forgot how to react for a moment. "Oh-- okay." He cleared his throat and smiled. "Good. I'm going to hold you to that, mister." With another wave to Alicia, he carried on his way to the kitchen.

"I _really_ like that kid. I'm happy you're such good friends," Alicia told her son.

"Yeah. Me too." Jack smiled. Alicia watched his face carefully with raised eyebrows, and Jack realized what she was carefully _not_ asking. " _Friends,_ maman."

She sighed dramatically. "Too bad."

" _Maman_..." 

"I'm kidding, Jackie. I can already tell he's a friend you'll keep for a long time."

"Yeah..." Jack looked back over his shoulder, thinking that Bitty might have come back, but his doorway was still empty. "I'd like that."

Despite Alicia and Bob's initial thoughts about their son's bond with his now best friend, Shitty, she could not help but notice that the way Jack was drawn to Bitty was different. There was a new lightness in his smile, less tension in his shoulders when he talked about Bitty compared to any of his other friends.

It had not always been that way, of course. A little over a year earlier, she had watched her son wind himself as tight as a rubber band about to break as he complained to Bob about the "impossible" new teammate who was surely going to cost him any chance at the championships. Against all odds, that charming southern blond had managed to break his way through Jack's defenses to befriend him.

It was nice to see Jack opening up to more friendships. Shitty was of course the biggest factor for that to happen. A year later came Ransom, who gave Jack the gift of not being the only Canadian on the team anymore, and someone else to discuss golf with. And then came Bitty, the shockingly talented hockey player despite his small size.

Alicia wondered if Jack realized just how much he talked about Bitty in his converstions. There were times that his stories about Bitty took up more of his conversations with his parents than hockey and Shitty combined. 

"I should probably get going. Bittle is going to help me narrow down what to do for my final project in Professor Atley's class next week. I can't tell how complicated any of those recipes will be, but he's got such a good eye for that stuff."

"Good plan. Bittle is a very talented baker. I liked that... oh shoot, what kind of pie was it that he made during family weekend?"

Jack chuckled. "He made about a dozen pies that weekend..."

"I know it was an apple pie, but like, a  _fancy_ apple." Alicia frowned in concentration while she tried to think back.

"Oh! Yeah it's, uh, maple sugar crusted apple pie. He made it for my birthday this year because I'm Canadian, so _maple,"_  Jack explained.

"That's so sweet."

"Yeah. But since it's just the crust it's not too sweet."

Alicia laughed. "I meant the action -- how Bittle baked you a birthday pie -- not the pie itself being sweet."

"Oh, yeah, that too. It was a nice surprise."

"Well tell him again how much I loved it. I might need to bribe him to make another when we come down for your graduation."

"Oh, no bribery necessary. He bakes all the time. He's baking right now, actually. I can smell it in my room from downstairs."

"Well then I definitely shouldn't keep you any longer. I don't want you to miss out on any of his baking when it's fresh from the oven!" Alicia laughed.

"Bittle doesn't let anyone eat fresh from the oven. He smacks our hands away if we try to grab something before it has cooled enough. Rans and Holster have made a game of it. Shitty plays sometimes too, but I usually don't. Bittle is _really_ quick with his whacking spatula."

"Is that a specific untensil, or just whatever he has closest to him at the time?"

"It's just one particular spatula. Shitty calls it a 'smack-tula'... but nobody else does."

Alicia laughed again at her son and his straight-faced story about the antics of his ridiculous friends. "You boys, I swear... I have no idea how Lardo manages you all so well."

"Haha. Yeah, me neither. I think fear, probably."

Alicia shook her head with a smile on her face. "Good night, Jack. Papa will be sorry he missed your call, but I'll tell him all about it. We'll talk to you again soon. Love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too, maman. I..." Jack hesitated sheepishly. "I, uh... It was a lot of fun hearing about your university days today.  The practical jokes and everything. Maybe you can tell me some more stories about your Samwell days some time."

"I'd like that."

"Okay, good. Good night, maman."

"Good night."

Jack closed his laptop and stood up from his bed to stretch out his legs. Downstairs, he heard an anguished cry from Shitty followed by uproarious laughter from Holster. The 'smack-tula' had claimed another victim. Jack shook his head with a sigh, and headed down the stairs towards the commotion. His friends were idiots, and he loved it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *assorted completely unsubtle snickering*  
> *whack!*  
> Shitty: AGHHHH! Fucking OWWW!!!!  
> Holster: BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Yes!!!  
> Jack: He hits you guys EVERY time. Why do you keep trying?  
> Holster: Not EVERY time! RANS managed to grab a cookie last time!  
> Jack: I don't think you guys are very good at this game.  
> Bitty: I do this for your own protection, you know! These mini pies are too hot to eat yet! Wait FIVE minutes, that's all I ask!  
> Jack: Can I help with anything Bittle? *discretely moves spatula out of Bitty's reach*  
> Bitty: I think I'm about done. Thank you so much for the offer, though!  
> Jack: oh, okay. I'll be right back. *swipes a mini pie as he turns around and stuffs it into the pocket of his hoodie*  
> Shitty, Holster, and Rans (who just arrived): the master...  
> Jack: *winks and returns to his room* ffffuck i think I really burned my hand!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 of my 5+1 is here!

 "There's my boy."

Jack turned around to find his dad coming through a break in the crowd. "Oh, sorry. My friends were just taking some pictures."

"Was Bittle?"

Jack chuckled. "Yeah. Sometimes he does more with that phone than text at his friends on twitter."

Bob laughed. "We turned around for one minute and you disappeared into this crowd. How _embarassing_ that everyone ended up wearing the same outfit, eh? That's a fashion faux pas, if I've ever seen one."

Jack snickered at Bad Bob's cheesy joke. "Maman has more experience in that field, I think..."

"Ohhh, I see how it is. That's your polite way of saying 'stick to hockey old man' isn't it?" Bob gave his son's arm a playful shake. "This old man can clean up nice, you know?"

Jack chuckled again when his dad purposely made a production out of straightening out his suit jacket. He brushed a small piece of lint off the shoulder of Jack's graduation gown and stared at him for a moment.

"...What?" Jack asked self-consciously.

"I was just thinking...  _Wow._ "

"Haha. Wow about what?"

" _You,_ my boy. Come here," Bob said as he pulled Jack in for a long hug. He ended the hug with an extra squeeze to his son's broad shoulders. "You're too big for this old man to lift anymore. All grown up now."

Jack chuckled. "You keep saying it, but you're not that old."

"Just look at you..." Bob's hands still gripped Jack by either arm. "You've grown into such a fine young man. I never doubted you would, but still." He sighed softly. "You never cease to amaze me. So strong."

Jack chuckled again, and repeated a phrase he had heard his father tell him more times than he could count growing up. "I ate more protein."

Bob laughed quietly. "You're strong in more ways than that. I'm _so_ proud of you, Jack. You set a goal in your mind and you _acheived_ it. I know it wasn't an easy road, but you stuck with it. You're so much like your mother, and I'm  _so_ grateful for that."

Jack smiled, unsure of what to say. Should he accept the compliment, because he did consider it a huge compliment to be compared to his mother? Or should he politely reassure his father that he had inherited good characteristics from them both.

After years of fearing that he would never live up to the title of "Bad Bob's Son," Jack was now finally comfortable with what may lie ahead in his life -- and what had happened in the past. He still had more work to do, of course, but he was happy with himself -- _proud_ even, of how far he had come.

Bob patted Jack's shoulder with an amused grin. "Don't worry yourself so much about how to respond without hurting my feelings, son."

"Oh," Jack said with a small chuckle. "Yeah, but... I am, uh, I'm happy to be like you too."

"You've always been such a sweet kid." Bob pulled him in for another hug. "I have a graduation gift for you. It's a re-gift, of sorts, but I hope you don't mind."

Jack gave him a curious look when Bob produced a small box from the interior pocket of his suit jacket. "Huh?"

Bob handed it over with a smile. "Maybe you don't even remember this..."

Jack opened the box to find a flat, round, black stone. He traced his fingers over the smooth surface of the stone. "Is this...?"

"You gave me that as part of my christmas gift when you were ten. I thought it was because it looked like a hockey puck. Remember what you told me?"

"Yeah," Jack admitted shyly. "That Roman soldiers used to wear onyx carvings into battle for courage. I said it would help you stay brave on the ice, but..."

"But that ended up being my last season," Bob finished for him.

"Yeah."

"Do you know why I retired that year?" Bob asked, and Jack shook his head. "It was because of that stone."

" _What?_ " Jack's heart sank into the pit of his stomach at the news that he had been the reason that his father had ended his illustrious career. "I'm sorry I--"

"No, no, no! Jack, no. That's not something to apologize about. That's not what I'm trying to say." Bob gave Jack's arm another squeeze to steady him and keep him from spiralling. "I was talking to maman that night as we were getting ready for bed and she said, 'Oh of course! Jackie is really into rocks ever since my dad got him that kit for his birthday!' She didn't think any more of it, but it shook me to my core."

"Why?" Jack asked quietly.

"Because here was this entire part of your life that I was completely unaware of. I vaguely remembered your grandparents getting you that birthday gift, but I had no idea you had such an interest in it. I was so busy back in those days with training camp and pre-season and then the hectic schedule of the regular season... and whenever I saw you, we talked about hockey, too. I hated missing out on so much else."

"That's really why you retired?"

"I was already in my 40s, I was slowing down and only had a couple of years left in me at best... but I didn't want to miss out on any more of your life." Bob smiled sadly and sighed. "Maybe that was my mistake. Even after I retired, all of our conversations remained about hockey. It was everything."

"I liked that though. Learning from you."

"But all of your other interests fell by the wayside. Hockey... it became your _entire_ life."

Jack gave a soft chuckle and gestured loosely to where Alicia was chatting with Georgia Martin, his new boss in the NHL. "I think it turned out okay."

"It almost didn't," Bob said with a pained look on his face. "I..."

"Papa, no. That wasn't you-- I--" Jack stumbled through his words. All that time spent getting to understand the what and why of his anxiety and his overdose, but every word in his head disappeared when he saw his father getting choked up. "No, Papa... I'm okay. Everything is okay."

"I'm so glad. _You're_ the best gift I've ever received. I'm happy you came here to this school. I've never been more proud of anything in my entire life than I am of you right now. Seeing you standing here at your graduation... my son."

Bob pulled Jack in for one more long hug, and Jack gave him a small squeeze for reassurance. "Thank you, Papa. For everything."

Bob kissed his forehead and stepped back from their hug. He squeezed the hand that Jack was holding the box in. "Stay brave on the ice, eh? And _off_ the ice, of course."

"I will," Jack said as he tucked the box carefully into the pocket of his dress pants.

"I know you will. You're tough like Maman." He patted Jack on the shoulder. "Speaking of, I should join her in schmoozing some alums. I'll let you get back to your friends."

"Oh, I think they've probably all left by now."

"Isn't that Bittle I see over there engrossed in his phone?" Bob asked.

"Oh, yeah! Probably taking more selfies. I should go chirp him about it."

"Sounds like a plan, son." Bob laughed and walked away to find his wife.

******

Alicia watched as Jack pulled his phone out of his pocket for the fifth time in as many minutes. "Jackie?"

Jack hastily pocketed his phone and looked up like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Oh! Uh, sorry. The boys are texting a lot. Bittle. Graduation. You know... I'll stop until dinner is over."

Alicia exchanged glances with her husband. Neither of them knew where Jack had gone that afternoon, only that he had run off to work what Bob had called the "Zimmermann charm." Jack had been tight-lipped about it since he returned, so they did not press for more information.

From the looks of it, whatever he had done had gone well. Jack flinched when his phone buzzed with another text. The corner of his mouth was still tugged into a somewhat smug grin, but he also looked slightly distressed that he could not read the message immediately.

"Maybe you could reply to them so that they know why you will be slow to respond to the other messages," Alicia suggested.

"Right! Yeah. That would be good. Thanks." Jack's smile returned full-force when he got to look at his phone again.

"Check out Mr. Popular, over here," Georgia teased.

"Sorry, I'm being so rude..." Jack silenced his phone completely so that even the vibrations would not alert him. 

"Oh, _please_. I'm chirping you, kiddo. I don't mind at all." She laughed. " _But_ I am dying to learn about this 'Zimmermann charm' you mentioned earlier, Bob. What does _that_ entail?"

Jack blushed lightly, only then realizing that he was not being as discreet as he thought he was. "Haha. What?"

"That's what I said earlier when George asked where you had run off too."

"Ohh. Uh..."

Alicia patted her son's arm. "You don't have to explain, sweetheart."

"Your teammates at Samwell seemed like a lot of fun. That Haus smelled like it hosted quite the party last night," Georgia said with a laugh.

"Yeah, the boys couldn't resist one last kegster. It was a small one, though. I promise. I'm not gonna show up in any, like, _scandalous_ photos or anything. I just had one beer."

"I'm not worried about that, Jack. I know you're a straight-laced guy."

Alicia was distracted by something out the window of the restaurant. "I sure hope that pie Bittle made keeps in the car. Thank god it wasn't too hot out today."

"Bittle is guy who walked over with us today, right? The blond? Speedy little #15, right?" Georgia asked.

Jack chuckled, hoping it masked the sudden nervousness bubbling in his chest. "Yeah. That's Bittle. He's such a good player, right? I think he could make a good captain one day. Everyone likes him so much. He's small for hockey, but so fast. And he tries so hard. Even when I used to get him up at 4am for checking practice -- he complained the  _whole_ time, but he never missed it. I think that says a lot about how much he loves hockey."

"Oh, definitely. I thought he was first-line material from the minute I laid eyes on him. He scored the game-winner during family weekend last year, remember bud? His mother was so excited I thought she might just bounce out of her skin," Bob said with a laugh. 

Yeah." Jack felt a pang of guilt in his chest. Of course he remembered that game. He remembered how he treated Bitty afterwards too. He had apologized since, and Bitty had assured him that all was forgiven, but it still pained Jack to picture the hurt look on Bitty's face that night. "I, uh... I was pretty jealous of that shot. We weren't really friends yet back then. I behaved ba-- I was a jerk. He forgave me for some reason, which was really lucky for me, because he's... a really good friend."

"He sure is. You know, I--"

Jack stood suddenly from the table. "I-- bathroom. Excuse me. I'm going to the bathroom. Not-- I'm-- I need to go there, to the bathroom. I'm not, like, _currently_..." Jack's face turned red as he dug himself deeper into the hole of his embarrassment. "I will be right back."

"Okay... Take your time." Bob laughed.

Jack walked down the small hallway at the back of the restaurant, but ducked around the corner near the washrooms. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and found more than a few unread messages from Bitty. He read it, then started with what he needed to say.

Bittle: Oh!!! Omg! I forgot you had reservations with your family and your boss! And here I am just texting away at you!

Bittle: Please tell them I am sorry for being so rude! Or don't tell them it's ME specifically I guess.

Bittle: but you know what I mean, right? Enjoy your dinner! Have fun! My flight should be boarding pretty soon. 

Bittle: Sorry, I KNOW I said I would stop texting you, but I just got a coffee from the dunkin donuts here and it is HORRENDOUS!

Bittle: I know "America Runs on Dunkin" or whatever but THIS American runs on Annie's. What am I supposed to do all summer in Georgia?

Bittle: Okay last text I SWEAR. (Lord i hope you turned off your phone for all this!) I'm about to board my flight so I'll have my phone off for a while. Sorry for all these texts. My mind is still racing and I can't tweet so I think you're bearing the brunt of it. Hopefully we can talk later tonight? Maybe when we're both settled in at home? Okay ttyl.

 

Jack: I know you're probably still on your flight but I just wanted to apologize for how I acted when you first joined the team.

Jack: Family weekend last year when I said that your goal was a lucky shot... I was wrong. 

Jack: Shit. This is really something I should say to you in person. Or at least on the phone. 

Jack: You're an excellent hockey player. And an even better friend.

Jack: Shit! That wasn't a "let's stay friends" kind of thing. I just meant that you've been a really great friend to me until now. Or STILL now, but also more. If you'd like that?

Jack: I should get back to the table. I've been gone for almost 10 minutes. I just wanted to apologize again for hurting you last year and thank you for being wonderful. Being you.

 

"Oh!" Bob startled as he rounded the corner and almost crashed into his son. "You've been gone a while. I was coming to check if you fell in!"

"Sorry. I'm heading back now," Jack replied. "I was just, uh..."

"Working the ol' Zimmermann charm?" Bob winked. "Who were you texting just now?"

"Oh, uh... Bittle. I was thinking about the family weekend stuff from last year, and how close we are now as friends and... I just needed to apologize again."

"And what did he say to that?"

"He's still flying, I think. We might Skype tonight after he gets home and I..." Jack trailed off as he realized that he was on his way home, just to a home he had never lived in before. "Saying 'home' feels strange still."

"It will get easier once you settle in and unpack some more of your things." Bob patted him supportively on his shoulder. "All set? Let's get back to dinner."

"Is everything okay, sweetheart? You're acting a little funny. Just the emotions of the day?" Alicia asked when Jack sat back down at the table.

That was an understatement if Jack had ever heard one. All of the feelings he had building up inside over graduating and moving to Providence to begin his career in the NHL were overshadowed in an instant when he realized his feelings for Bitty. Jack was currently trying to find some way to bide his time without letting everything spill while he was with his parents and especially Georgia.

In some ways, Jack felt as though a weight had been lifted, but the realization that he had fallen for Bitty had also hit him like a ton of bricks. He wanted to talk about it so badly, to be sure he had not made a huge mistake. It didn't  _feel_ like a mistake. In fact, it felt about the farthest thing from a mistake. He hoped Bitty felt the same way. The tension in his chest would ease once they could talk for real later that night, seeing Bitty's face, even if just on skype would help as well.

"Yeah. I guess, uh... I guess it's all hitting me in stages. Graduating, and leaving Samwell, the Haus..." Jack let out a soft sigh instead of saying more about what was on his mind. _Bitty. Bitty. Bitty_. "I don't know how I'm gonna wake up tomorrow morning without Shitty bursting into my room wanting to snuggle." He chuckled.

"Shitty is the guy with the moustache, right?" Georgia asked.

"Yeah. That's Shits. Our rooms are-- uh, _were_ connected by a bathroom, so he liked to come and go from my room as he pleased."

Georgia laughed. "He seemed like a pretty affectionate guy. Energetic, too."

Jack chuckled again. "Oh yeah. And he was pretty subdued today because his family was around. Normally he's more, uh... well, _more_. Not sure how to explain it. Just **_more_**."

Bob laughed. "That sounds about right."

"He's certainly one of a kind, that boy. And Shitty just latched onto Jack from day one, didn't he sweetheart? I still remember the first time I met him -- it was over Skype and he maybe had a bit of a buzz on -- although getting to know him better since, I'm actually not sure." Alicia laughed. "All I knew was that I adored him from the moment he called me 'Mama Z' and asked about Jack's childhood hobbies."

"Yeah, he likes to chirp me about being 'dweeby' but he's just kidding around. And he's the guy who wanted to triple major and is going into Harvard law, so, I mean..." Jack trailed off, the "who's the real nerd here " heavily implied by the cheeky grin on his face.

The rest of the table laughed. "And he used to have a really sick flow, right? Or am I thinking of someone else?" Georgia asked.

"No, that was him. His dad made him get the chop or else that side of the family wouldn't come to his graduation today. And Shits likes to talk a big game about his dad and paternal grandparents, but you know... Family matters. I get wanting to know your parents are proud of you." Jack shrugged.

"You know _we_ are, right bud?" Bob asked gently.

" _So_ proud, angel." Alicia smiled.

"No, I know that, but... I get it, too." 

"Yeah, I must say that his family seemed pretty...  _stuffy._  To put it politely, at least," Georgia added.

"Yeah, for sure."

"And what do they think about him having 'Shitty' as a nickname?" She asked.

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, not big fans of that. Bittle's mom isn't a huge fan of that name either. She calls him 'Mr. Crappy' instead. I guess that's better somehow. She's so funny. Bittle skypes her a lot while he bakes, and all the boys pop in to say hi. And Bittle bakes _a lot_. Like, so much. Their house down in Georgia must be full of pies."

"Maybe you'll get a chance to see so for yourself. His family invited you down there for the 4th of July, right?" Alicia asked.

Jack's face lit up. "Oh! Yeah!" He quickly tried to push that excitement back down. "I almost forgot about that. I think the offer still stands... I mean, I hope it does. Um, George? Do you think that would conflict with anything? Me going down there for a couple days?" 

"I don't see that being a problem."

"Great! I can't wait to see him again. Uh, _them_. Bittle _and_ his mom. And his dad, too. I've never actually met him, but... I mean, I haven't met his 'moomaw' either so that will be good. It will be nice to see  _all_ the Bittles again. Or for the first time. Yeah."

The table was quiet for a few moments, with nobody quite sure how to react to the ramble, Jack afraid to incriminate himself by further talking about how much he loved "all" of the Bittles.

Love. Uh-oh. For a second, Jack's heart was stabbed with dread. _Was_ he in love? Was he rushing everything? Was he rushing Bitty? In an instant, he knew the answer to the first question, at least. Yes, he was in love with Bitty. Jack resolved to give Bitty as much time as he needed to get used to this new development in their lives, but he finally knew his own feelings and he knew those would not change.

Jack was snapped back into the present moment when Alicia put her hand on his shoulder. "Jackie? Come on, we're heading out. Papa just paid the bill."

"Oh! Uh, sorry. I guess I kinda zoned out there for a while. I was thinking... about things..."

"You've had a lot on your plate, today." Alicia gave him a sympathetic smile. "I bet you're tired. Maybe I should drive your car down the rest of the way."

"Oh, you don't have to--"

"Hey, Bobby? George? I'm going to take Jack's car the rest of the way so he can get some rest."

"Oh? Yeah that sounds good to me," Bob said.

"No problem. It'll give me plenty of time to bend Bob's ear about his old NHL days," Georgia said as she clapped a hand down on Bob's shoulder.

"Only if we get to talk about your Olympic runs, too. You know, I worked both of those for CBC. Rooting for Team Canada, of course, but I remember you. You gave us a run for our money in 2002," Bob said as they walked out to the parking lot together.

Georgia laughed. "And got our asses kicked in '06."

"I don't know about that. A bronze medal is a damn fine showing. The men's team for Canada came in seventh that year."

"No, true. I know. Maybe I'll coach Team USA to the gold one day instead."

"That's the spirit!"

Georgia laughed and turned to Alicia. "You've got a good one here, Ali. Is this what you guys mean by the 'Zimmermann charm?' Like an _instant_ boost to my ego."

"Yeah, Bobby definitely has a way with his words. You two have a fun drive full of shop-talk. We'll see you at the apartment." Alicia waved them off and held her hand out to Jack for his car keys. "Okay, sweetheart. Hand 'em over."

"I can drive, really."

"Nonsense. You have enough on your mind, don't force yourself to deal with traffic on top of that," Alicia said with a smile. "I'm happy to drive. You can have a little nap... or we can have a little chat. It's up to you."

Jack sat down in the passenger seat and clicked his belt. "It feels weird sitting on this side of my own car," he said with a chuckle. 

"I promise to move the seat back when I'm done," Alicia assured him, punctuated with the clicking sound of her own belt. She did not speak again until they were on the highway. "So... what's on your mind, sweetheart?"

Jack kept his eyes trained out the window to avoid any eye contact when his mom glanced over. "I think just all the big changes, you know? It was all so... I don't know. Hypothetical? I guess? And today it all became really _real_. Like, I gave Chowder my dibs and obviously I knew that meant I was moving out... but then today when I went back to the Haus to-- uh, to say goodbye... to _the Haus_... all of his boxes were already in my old room and it finally hit me."

"Oh is _that_ where you went this afternoon? To say goodbye to the Haus? _Sweetheart_..." Her heart melted a little at the thought.

"I know that I'll see the Haus a lot in the future, but it's just..." Jack sighed. "The Haus was  _right there_ for so long. I wish I had seen how much it meant to me sooner. Wasted time, you know? I barely had any time to tell him-- uh, b-by that I mean the Haus, uh... I almost missed my chance to say goodbye, and I still have so much I need to tell, uh, _the Haus_."

"Well..." Alicia chose her words carefully, as she was certain her completely unsubtle son was not actually talking about the run-down building that permanently smelled of stale beer -- and pie. "You know, angel... I think the Haus is _very_ lucky you care so deeply for it. I'm sure you will get plenty of chances to see it again."

"No, I know... it's just now we won't even live in-- or uh,  _exist,_ I guess -- in the same state for who knows how long, you know?" Jack could sense his clever cover was slipping away from him. "Uh, but never mind. It will be fine. I can see the Haus again in August when all the boys come back for pre-season training. I'm sure I'll have an afternoon or something to visit."

"Oh _absolutely_ ," Alicia emphatically agreed. "And I hope you know... if you ever want to talk about how much you miss the Haus... that Papa and I are always here for you. No matter what, sweetheart."

"I know. Thanks, maman."

"You're very welcome. We love you so much."

"I love you too." Jack gave her a small smile and resumed looking out the window. "Hey, um, speaking of Papa..."

"Yes?"

"You know how you, uh, say you knew you wanted to marry him that day he lost his fake tooth in your kitchen? Was that the first time you realized you loved him? Or did you know that already by then?"

Alicia laughed at the memory. "Oh god... I guess some part of me knew before then. That night was an eye-opener for sure. I think that was probably when everything clicked for me -- that I loved him and that I would marry him in a heartbeat if I could. It was like a siren blaring in my head saying, 'Hey dummy! He's the one!' You know?"

"Yeah..." Jack said with a small nod. 

"It was hard at first, you know? He was busy with hockey, and I was bouncing around for various fashion weeks. I shot my first movie that year, too. Long distance relationships are tough... but we made it work."

"...Did you ever think it was too much?" Jack asked cautiously. "That maybe all the stress of never seeing each other or something was... not worth it?"

"I think your father worried about that more than I ever did. When I started acting more, I would have months at a time where I would stay in one place, but he bounced around the continent for usually 8 months of the year -- they often made the playoffs. A lot of the time we spent together depended on his schedule and he worried that I was sacrificing too much, but..."

"But?"

"But I knew how much I loved him, and I knew those circumstances were only temporary. In the long run, it would be worth it. And it was. It  _really_ was." Alicia reached over and patted Jack's leg. "Saying yes to that first date... it was the best decision I ever made."

"Thanks, Maman. I feel better now."

"Good. You're so talented, sweetheart. And determined. I've never met anyone who could slip and come back stronger like you have. To hell with the critics and naysayers, you proved to yourself and the world that you're strong enough to handle anything."

"Papa said that I got that from you," Jack replied.

"Your father is a flatterer -- I  _wish_ I could take credit for that, believe me... but you're not strong like _me_ , Jack. That's all you. You've come so far because of who  _you_ are -- not me, not Papa. You're this beautiful, determined, focussed person who gives 110% of himself to everyone and everything he loves... I pity anyone who underestimates you."

"Maman..." Jack reached across the console and gave her hand a small squeeze.

Alicia smiled at him and their eyes met briefly before she had to look back at the road. "Man, I am one lucky woman..." She laughed, still beaming her proud smile. "So few people even get to _meet_ their heroes, and here I actually gave _birth_ to mine. My sweet little boy grew up into such an incredible man -- the _best_ man I know."

"What about Papa?" Jack snickered, happy for the break in the emotional moment.

"Oh, _please!_ He snores _and_ has hairy toes -- he doesn't hold a candle to you, sweetheart." 

They spent the rest of the drive laughing as Alicia recounted stories of dating Bob, Jack's early years, and the mischief she got up to with her friends back at Samwell. 

By the time the last of Jack's boxes had been placed in his new apartment, he had checked his watch a dozen times. Bitty's flight would be landing any minute, and Jack was eagerly anticipating his texts, and hoping that the three hour flight had not given Bitty any second thoughts.

"We should let you settle in. We'll come back in the morning and the three of us can grab some breakfast. Sound good?" Bob asked as he gave his son a hug.

"Great. Yeah, I'm pretty beat. I'll probably call it an early night." Jack stretched out his arms and covered his mouth as he pretended to yawn. "George-- thank you so much for helping with boxes, you really didn't have to."

"Hey, no problem, kid. Happy to help." Georgia put an arm around his shoulders. "Have a good night. We'll touch base sometime tomorrow afternoon, okay?"

"Okay. Sounds good." Jack smiled.

"Good night, my sweet boy." Alicia planted a big kiss on his cheek as she pulled him into a hug as well. 

"Good night, maman. Have a safe trip back to the hotel. Sorry I don't have the furniture for myspare bedroom yet. I think it arrives on Tuesday."

"No worries, Jackie. Our hotel is across the street, I think we'll manage somehow." Alicia gave him another kiss on the cheek before releasing him from the hug. She slipped her shoes back on at the door, and paused after Georgia had left and Bob was waiting in the doorway. "Make sure to skype Bittle tonight."

"Huh?" Jack's eyes went wide. "Why-- I-- he's probably-- his flight just landed so he probably won't be home for another hour. Um, besides-- Uh, why would I skype Bittle tonight? I just saw him 5 hours and 8 minutes ago..."

Alicia smiled, deciding not to point out that Jack had not so much as glanced at his watch. "To let him know that you can visit Madison in July, of course."

"Right. Oh yeah. Of course. Yeah definitely. I'm going to do that as soon as he gets home." Jack took a deep breath, followed by an awkward and unconvincing shrug. "I mean... Or maybe I'll just sleep or whatever. I can text him tomorrow, no big deal." 

"Whatever you think is best. Tell Bittle thanks again for that pie. It will be gone by tomorrow morning," Alicia said.

Jack chuckled. "If I tell him _that_ he'll definitely overnight another one to your hotel."

"Tell him. Tell him right now. He might need to stop for ingredients on his way home from the airport," Bob said, before cracking up at his own joke.

Jack's cell phone buzzed and he snapped it up from the counter. He smiled at the screen as a flurry of texts came in. "Okay, good night. Love you," he told his parents, barely able to peel his eyes away from his phone. 

"Love you too, bud. Good night Jack. _Good night Bittle,_ " Bob added with another laugh before closing the door behind them.

Alicia looped her arm around her husband's as they walked down the hallway towards the elevator. "I don't think he's going to sleep anytime soon..." She grinned.

"What did the two of you talk about during your drive?" Bob asked.

"How much he loved 'the Haus' and how we dealt with our long-distance relationship when we first started dating..." Alicia explained as they rode the elevator down to the lobby.

Bob sighed heavily. "Hm... I'm a little disappointed in him."

"What?"

"What kind of son let's his parents cross an unfamiliar street unattended in the dark? He  _clearly_ thinks we don't have eyes  _or_ ears. This will be a _treacherous_ crossing..." Bob shook his head when they reached the sidewalk. "I mean, at _least_ call us an uber..."

"Oh, hush! Let him have this! He thinks he's being so sneaky. We are not going to say a word about this. If something happens between Jack and Bittle, we have to wait until he decides to tell us. Until then, we'll assume they're remaining friends."

"Still. That Bittle... it would be so great, right?" Bob asked.

"Oh my god, yes! Perfect! I adore that boy. I have been hoping for this for  _years,_ we better not jinx it." Alicia beamed. "Did you know that Jack got him to pick out his tie for today?"

"Oh, he told me.  _ **Twice.**_ "

"Okay, okay. Game faces from here on out. Remember --  _ **NO**_ indication that we have any idea when we see him tomorrow."

"Right, right. Good plan. He'll tell us when he's ready. Hopefully that will be tomorrow."

"Fingers crossed, Bobby. We can only hope."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen. The Zimmerparents ship it so hard. Like... they NEED Bitty to be their son in law.  
> Also, like... they are SO ridiculously proud of their boy. He's been through so much and he's achieved so much and he's a mostly-happy dweeb now??? Amazing! They love every single day know that Jack is somewhere talking about hockey/Bittle/a combination of both and like... hoarding pretty rocks to gift to loved ones like a penguin. Lol


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The +1 is finally here! The fic is complete! I hope you all enjoy it, and thank you so so so much for reading!

Jack made his way through the crowd of people in caps and gowns. It somehow felt both like yesterday and a lifetime ago since he had worn those robes. He leaned back against one of the trees in Lake Quad to get some shade and take a breather from the noise of the excited grads and their families.

He looked over at his own family, crowded together about 15 feet away. Suzanne was crying happy tears, and Bitty, as handsome as ever was crying too. Bob wrapped him in a hug and Bitty laughed into his shoulder.

Jack could not hear what Bitty said as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve and made sure no tears had made their way onto Bob's shoulder, but he had no doubt what Bitty was saying. "Oh, lord! Look at me, blubbering away when I'm so _happy..._ "

Jack smiled and pulled out his camera, snapping a picture of the very emotional love of his life. He would have to chirp Bitty about that in a few minutes. Bitty would undoubtedly tell him to be quiet and give him a peck on the cheek before Jack pulled him in for his own hug. Then Bitty  _would_ cry all over his shoulder -- he would purposely dry his eyes by nuzzling his face into Jack's suit. Jack would chirp him for that too, but love every second of it. It was a scene they had played out countless times before.

"Wow. You are  _ **so**_ much like your dad!" 

Jack's ears perked up at that. It had been a while since he had heard those words. He turned to find a group of students approaching, some in graduation robes, some not. "Um...?'

"Oh," a voice behind him to the left said with a quiet chuckle. "Yeah, just needed some air."

Jack peered around the side of the large tree to find his son, Alexandre. "Oh!" Alexandre just shrugged his shoulders and chuckled again.

"Dude! We're _outside!_ " One of Alexandre's friends caught him in a playful headlock, knocking his graduation cap off in the process. "Oh, shit. Sorry 'bout that, man." The boy immediately let go and stooped to retrieve Alexandre's hat.

"It's fine," Alexandre said with a laugh. Instead of putting it back on his head, he handed it over to Jack. "Hey, Papa? Could you hold this for me for a while?"

Jack smiled. "Sure, bud. No problem." 

"Ohhhh myyyy godddd!!!  _ **That's**  _where you get 'bud' from?" One girl asked excitedly. She clutched her chest dramatically. "That's so cute, I could die!"

"I'm right with you, babe. You're  _killing_ us, my dearest Xan-Xan. Why have still not introduced us to your adorable father?" The first boy asked. "You just thought you'd sneak off to chill under the exact same tree as him and we wouldn't pick up on that?"

"Oh, uh, sorry. Um, Papa? These are my friends. These two are Ben and Emma, and that's Mia, Brooke, Levi, and Avery. Everybody? This is my dad, Jack."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Zimmerbits." Ben extended his hand to Jack, his left arm still wrapped around Alexandre's shoulders.

"Huh?" Jack chuckled. "Um. Hello? Nice to meet you."

"Sorry, it's Alex's nickname. Well, one of them." Ben laughed. "Dude has got a long-ass name. Oh! Uh, not that that's a _bad_ thing. I know that you were like the guy who named him and all that. Just, 'Alexandre Richard Zimmermann-Bittle' is a lot to fit on a nametag, ya know?"

"True. I fell asleep once before I could finish reading his birth certificate," Jack admitted. He pretended not to be startled when his son's friends all burst into laughter at his honest statement. "Haha."

"I see where you got that dry humour, too!" Mia laughed.

"Yeah, haha." Alexandre also laughed it off. 

"Frankly, I'm amazed you ever managed to get done entering your name on a scantron sheet before running out of time to write the actual test," Mia teased Alexandre and playfully poked him in the arm. "Don't know how you managed to swing that one, Mr. Masters Degree in Geochemistry With the Highest Possible Honors."

"Yeah, what's up with that, man?" Ben gave his shoulders a small shake. "You must be pretty proud of this little nerd, huh?" He asked Jack.

"I'm  _always_ proud."

"Aww!" Rang out from the chorus of friends.

"Oh my god, Papa. You're so embarrassing..." Alexandre blushed.

Jack laughed and toyed with the graduation cap in his hands. "I should get back to Dad, anyway. Don't hide over here for too long, eh? Your Moomaw is going to dehydrate if she keeps crying like that."

"Yeah, we're just going to take a few group pictures, then I'll be right back."

"Have fun, bud." He winked and walked off to rejoin the outskirts of his family's group.

Jack chuckled to himself and looked down at the graduation cap in his hands. His own graduation from Samwell was still fresh in his mind, even after two and a half decades. He still felt like that same shy kid inside who somehow found himself surrounded by a group of lovable and rowdy friends at Samwell.

Thin arms wrapped around his bicep and Jack turned his head away from the spot where Alexandre and his friends were trying -- and failing -- to arrange themselves into a human pyramid, to smile at his mother. "This takes me back," said Alicia.

"Yeah," Jack agreed.

"Those kids remind me of the group of friends I had when I went to Samwell." Alicia gave Jack's arm a small squeeze.

"Yeah, same here. I was just thinking that." Jack smiled. "This is a good school."

"I wholeheartedly agree, sweetheart. Are you feeling an overwhelming urge to talk someone's ear off about the history of this university?"

"Definitely," Jack said with a quiet laugh.

"I felt the exact same way at _your_ graduation."

" _I remember_."

"Oh, quiet. I wasn't _that_ bad. Not enough to warrant it being such a _vivid_ memory after all these years..." Alicia gave him a small chastising tap on his chest.

Jack laughed. "No, no. It wasn't so bad. I thought it was kinda funny, actually. And this school means so much to _me_... it's nice that I get to share that with you, too."

"You certainly take after me."

"I do. Thanks for the compliment."

Alicia rested her head on Jack's shoulder. "You're such a sweet boy."

Jack laughed. "Boy? Maman... we're at my son's _college_ graduation. My _youngest_ kid's college graduation."

"You'll always be my baby boy, you know that."

Jack snorted when he laughed, then bowed his head to give his mom a kiss on the top of her hair. "Phft!"

"Hairspray, Jackie. Hairspray."

"Oh, right." Jack chuckled. He sighed gently and looked over across the Pond. "I'm gonna miss the excuse to stop by this campus again..."

"Don't worry. That's what alumni events are for. --And _grandchildren,_ " Alicia added. "Not that you should pressure my future great-grandchildren to attend our alma mater."

"No, of course not. Shits would lecture me until he sucked all the oxygen out of the room."

"Ohh very true. I miss that boy. How is he doing?"

"He's good, maman. Busy, but good. Everyone else is getting ready to retire and what does he do? Becomes a judge so he can work _more_." Jack said and they both laughed. "He might be a little late, but he's coming to the family party tonight. You'll see him there."

"Oh, good! You know, I've liked that boy from day one. Such a good friend to you. I'm so happy you boys have kept in touch over all these years."

"Are you kidding? I couldn't shake Shitty if I tried. He's like a barnacle... That's made of super-glue." Jack teased.

"Oh, don't pretend you don't love him."

"No, I know. He's... in the top four best people who ever came into my life. I mean-- you and Papa aren't counted in that because you're like... there from **_day_** **_one_**. But  _after_ that..."

"I know, sweetheart." Alicia squeezed his arm.

At the outskirts of their family group, a parent of another student took it as a cue to strike up a conversation. "Quite the day, huh? I didn't realize how big that lake was. My daughter always called it a pond."

"Oh, no, no. It's **_The_** Pond. That's just what everyone calls it here," Alicia explained. "Now, back in  _my_ day, it was a huge tradition to hop into the pond at graduation. We tossed up our mortar boards and whoosh! Half the class, all in the pond!"

"Oh, wow! You went to Samwell too?" The other parent asked.

"I certainly did. So did my son, here. And his husband. Three generations of Samwell grads."

"I actually met him here. We played hockey together. He was so fast on the ice. _Unbelievable_ ," Jack said. "He's just over there -- the one crying again all over our son's robes. Uh, the one on the right side, obviously. The other person crying all over Alexandre's  _left_ shoulder is my mother-in-law."

"Ohhh! Well, would you look at that."

"We didn't jump into the pond at my graduation though. I think that tradition died out sometime after my mom went to Samwell."

"To be honest, it was probably in the process of fizzling out by my day. Only half of our class did it, but I think it used to be something **_everyone_** did. Too bad. It sure was fun!" Alicia laughed.

The bells began ringing from the tower at Founder's Library and Jack smiled. He looked over at Bitty, now laughing and wiping his eyes again as the gaggle of their son's friends clearly got excited about some new trait that Alexandre shared with Bitty. 

Those bells rang the very first moment he realized that he was in love with Bitty. Nearly three decades later, he felt the same way. No, that was not true -- Jack loved Bitty  _more._ Jack loved him more than he could have possibly conceived of back then. 

Bitty turned his head and their eyes locked for a moment. He gave his husband a quizzical look, due to the somewhat dopey smile on Jack's face. Jack chuckled and dipped his head back towards the conversation his mom was still having with the other parent.

"--the old carillonneur was set to retire about ten years ago, and we thought that would be the end of these bells," Alicia explained, "but thanks to a very generous _anonymous_ donation, the school was able to hire a replacement. I'm so glad they did. These bells are part of what makes Samwell, _Samwell_."

"Yeah. They're really something," Jack agreed. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and turned to find Bitty at his other side. "Bits?"

"Hello, sweetheart. The valedictorian requests the presence of the remaining 25% of his family for a family photo. Sounds like Papa and Grandmaman are too busy talking about bell towers _again_..." Bitty teased. He turned his attention to the other parent. "I'm very sorry. I hope I'm not being too rude, but I have to steal my husband and  _dear_ mother-in-law away for some family time."

"Oh, no! Not at all!" The other parent could hardly hide their relief at being freed from their impromptu history lesson.

"Honestly... two peas in a pod." Bitty clicked his tongue and shook his head in mock disapproval. "You really need to warn a person before you launch a lecture from 'SMWL151: The History of Samwell,' you know?" 

Alicia laughed. "Ooh, Jackie! Maybe you should see if they'd let you be a guest professor. You would be great at that."

Jack snickered. "Hey, you talked _way_ more than I did just now." 

"I'm sure you could find lots of things to say about those bells..." Alicia smiled as they walked back towards the group. "...Maybe you could solve the case of that _mysterious_ anonymous donor."

"You mean the one who hired the new bell-ringer? That--"

Jack interrupted his husband. " _That_ was someone who preferred to remain anonymous. I think that we should respect their privacy."

Bitty scoffed. "Really, Jack? She's your mother. Your _mother,"_  he repeated with a laugh.

"Oh, sweetheart,  _please._  I have known that was you since the moment I heard about it!" Alicia laughed and squeezed Jack's arm again. "Who _else_ cares as much about these things as _I_ do?"

"Really? Was it that obvious?"

 "Honey... you mentioned those bells in our wedding vows --  _ **everyone**  _who knows you knows you were the one who made that donation." Bitty gave his stunned husband a peck on the cheek before leaving to corral the rest of Zimmermann-Bittle clan for pictures.

"I thought I did such a good job covering my tracks..." Jack admitted.

"Oh, my sweet boy... subtlety has _never_ been your forte," Alicia teased.

"Oh?"

"At least not when it had _anything_ to do with a certain young man..." She winked as Bitty hurried back to grab them both for the picture.

It took a few attempts to get it right. Richard yawned in the first shot, Bob talked in the second. For the third picture, Bob _again_ , made a cheesy joke that caused most of the family to laugh, while Jack and Alexandre both covered their faces with embarassment. The fourth attempt caught Suzanne sneezing, and the fifth picture was delayed while Maëlle collapsed into a fit of contagious giggles which spread first to her graduate brother, then the rest of the family. 

When the sixth picture was finally taken, it was perfect. Jack took his camera back from Alexandre's friend Mia. He thanked her and turned back around to find his son directly behind him. "Oh!"

"Ah! Shoot, sorry. Uh... can I just...?" Alexandre rambled nervously. "Um, I know that the party tonight is supposed to be just _family_ , but... I was wondering if I could, um... invite Mia?"

"Oh?" Jack asked, resisting the temptation to look around to see how close she was standing to them.

"Yeah. I mean, if there is like, a set number of meals or reserved seating or something then I totally understand, but..." Alexandre's eyes darted off to the side and then back. "Just, her flight actually doesn't leave until tomorrow afternoon and it's out of Providence, so..."

Jack smiled. He was starting to see what his own parents must have gone through on his graduation day. The nervous glances, the tug of a grin, the way Alexandre was fidgeting with his tie. "I think you should definitely invite your friend Mia to dinner with us."

"Yeah?"

"Of course." Jack chuckled.

"Okay. She's-- listen, she's really great. And she plays hockey like Maëlle. She's captain of the hockey team, so that's something both you and dad have in common with her. She was voted captain her sophomore year just like you. She still has one more year to go until her graduation, but she's kinda... uh..."

Jack put a calming hand on his son's shoulder. Alexandre really was like him in a lot of ways. Just as he needed Bob to give him that final push when it came to Bitty, he would now be that person for his son. "You know, bud... if there's something you want to say, you should say it. As my uncle Wayne used to say, 'you miss 100% of the shots you don't take' -- if there's something  you want to keep in your life, you should take that shot while you still can."

"Okay, so, here's the thing..." Alexandre bit his lip again. "One -- I'm pretty sure your uncle stole that line from 'Hamilton,' and two -- Mia's kinda already my girlfriend. Since like... a month ago? I didn't want to say anything because everything was really new, and I knew dad would get  _so excited_ and so I thought maybe if I invited her as a friend and then told you that maybe you could... you know, uh,  _discourage_ him from that, uh..."

"That way he loses all control of the volume of his voice when he gets excited? And completely stops listening because he's so happy? And shouts the last word of your sentence as you're saying it even though you could swear he wasn't _actually_ listening?" Jack guessed.

"Yeah, that. Um... I mean, I actually  _like_ that and it's really funny, but..."

"But you're afraid of scaring Mia away?"

"Yeah. I mean, she's met _Maëlle_  and survived somehow, so like... she's tough, but..." Alexandre sighed. "I've been in love with her for at least a year, and I really don't want to screw this up."

Jack hugged his son. "How about this? I'll tell Dad while we're at the alumni event. You can stay back with Mia and your other friends for a while longer."

"Thanks, Pa--"

" _ **But**_ the price you'll have to pay for this deal is that I'm going to have to take a couple pictures of the two of you at the party tonight. You know there's no way this is escaping the family album. Your dad won't allow it."

"I know. Okay, deal." Alexandre hugged Jack again. 

"One more thing..." Jack started, and Alexandre looked up at him curiously. "I hope you know that you can come to us for anything. I mean that -- anything. Dad and I... we love you so much, and we're so proud of you. Always."

Alexandre chuckled and added a small squeeze to his hug before letting go. "I know. I love you guys too." He broke off to rejoin his friends again, and Jack returned to the rest of his family.

Jack pulled Bitty to this side and whispered to him. "We have a last-minute guest joining us for the party tonight."

"Oh?" Bitty asked.

"Don't freak out, I promised I would wait until we were at the alumni event, but... our son has a girfriend."

A squeak came out from Bitty's throat and he clapped a hand over his mouth to stop it from become a full squeal. " _What?! When? Who? Why?_ " His whisper became increasingly high-pitched. "I meant that as why didn't he tell us sooner, obviously I know  _why_ he would have a girlfriend, he's such a sweet boy."

Jack caught Bitty by the shoulders when he tried to peek around him for a glimpse of their son and his friends. "Bits..."

"I won't  _say_ anything to him, I just want to see if I can guess!" Bitty succeeded and immediately knew the answer. "Oh! It's Mia. It must be."

"How'd you guess?"

"He's looking at her with that same dopey smile you gave me not 15 minutes ago," Bitty said with a laugh. "Now, come along. The alumni event is starting soon. You ready?"

"You bet." Jack took one step with him then stopped. "Actually, Bits?"

"Yes?"

Jack looked over at Alicia and their eyes met. "Can maman and I meet the rest of you there?"

"Are you sure?"

Alicia smiled and took her son's arm. "We won't be long."

Jack turned to Alicia once the group had headed out. "So... you up for a bit of a walk? For old time's sake?" He asked.

"I thought you'd never ask." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coach: "Is Alex not coming to this alumni banquet too?"  
> Bitty: "No, daddy. He'll meet up with us later."  
> Suzanne: "Jack said he's off working the 'Zimmermann charm'..."  
> Bitty: "Pfft! Whatever THAT is!" *laughs*
> 
> Featuring the Zimbits children from my other fics: "Wouldn't Change a Thing" and "Memories". Maëlle is a hockey player like her dads, Alexandre has devoted his life to studying rocks, a passion he was clearly introduced to by his "rock lord" papa. Hahaha!
> 
> Thank you again soooo much for reading!!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you!!!!!!!!!


End file.
